Chowders
San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 391-4737
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Garage
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
46 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"Dinner here tonight was almost an erotic experience. We sat on the lovely warm patio. The waiter and bus boys seemed like they actually…" read more »
42 Reviews for Chowders
I friggin love this place!!!
One of the first places I ever discovered when I moved to the Bay Area.
Their soup is delicious, their service is quick and friendly, and they aren't a rip off.
They also have really good fried food like fries, crab cakes, fried mushrooms, etc.
This is the best place in SF to get your clam chowder red or white in a sourdough bread bowl.
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OK...I may be a bit biased since I used to work here during my high school years, but I really do feel that Chowder's has the best white chowder in San Francisco. Not only is it made fresh daily, it also has bacon in it, and any food that includes bacon is A+ on my list!
You may also want to to try the Crab Sandwich which is made using real crab, and then grilled.
Another suggestion would be the Veggie Combo. It includes deep fried and breaded zucchinis, mushrooms, and onion rings on a bed of fries with a side of ranch! YUM!
BTW...don't feed the pigeons! They'll poo on you and then they'll DIE! ...So I lied about the dying, but not the pooing!
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I was watching one of Bobby Flay's Throw down episodes and guess what the episode was about? CLAM CHOWDER! The show made me crave it so bad that I went on Yelp and checked out clam chowder places besides Boudins. What better places can serve chowder than the PIER!
Two of my friends and I decided to go to Chowders since its been cold these past few days. When we walked in we noticed that there were outdoor and indoor seating which is a plus because I love outdoor seating! I didn't notice much of the other items on the menu since my main target was CLAM CHOWDER! They had two choices of chowder. There was the RED chowder and the original WHITE chowder. I wasn't feeling for something different so I went for the original white and my two friends went for the red. Each clam chowder bowl was $6.95.
We decided to sit inside since all the outside seating were taken. I tried my friend's red chowder, it reminded me of spaghetti sauce but it was still good. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my white chowder, they had big chunks of clams inside along with celery, basil leaves, and other ingredients. Highly recommend if you ever visit the pier. Next stop, sidewalk chowder!
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Simple fried food done right. It's as basic and to the point as you could possibly find, and yes a complete tourist trap. The chowder bread bowl was mind numbingly incredible but try the fish and chips. With vinegar. Lots and lots of vinegar.
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Pier 39 has plenty of eatery places which are high priced with low value/quality meals.
Chowders is not one of them.
The fried seafood & chips; fish, shrimp, and calamari tasted great (especially the shrimp) and each was under $8.50. The plank-fries were excellent and the portions were good to generous.
The calamari was more like onion ring-sized squid rings than the more traditional looking calamari, but it too was done right and was tasty.
I would certainly come back here.
this is the only restaurant in pier 39 that i go to for clam chowder. i'm actually not really sure why.
luckily, it never disappoints.
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Very fast service and very good fried food on the run! Prices are normal for being on Pier 39, but better food than most places..Always a line forming at lunch time!! Note: Next time you order, try a grilled cheese sandwich...with grilled mushrooms..Its not on the menu but they will do that for you! DELICIOUS!
If you have to eat in Fisherman's Wharf this place is not half bad and considering everything around it the prices are way better for the same fried crap.
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This place is definitely on the touristy side, but it's pretty good for what it is. The prices are reasonable, the food is fresh and the servings are on the large side. As for flavor, don't expect anything fancy, just simple but decent food.
I was pleased that they have a few different types of chowder, not just New England clam chowder. I ordered the red chowder (a.k.a. Manhattan clam chowder), which I enjoy because it is lower in fat, calories and in my opinion tastes better than the New England style chowder. We also ordered a shrimp cocktail, which was also quite good.
I would definitely not go out of my way to eat here again, but for what it is, it's actually pretty good.
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I paid $6.95 for an AWESOME white clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. I ate the whole thing -- chowder, bread, bowl, lid, everything! I ate it for lunch and was full until that evening. Great value, tastes great. A little difficult to get seating since it was so busy, but the turnover rate for tables is fairly fast since most are tourists stopping by for a snack.
Fried seafood, clam chowder, french fries, tourist trap...
P.S. - Don't feed the birds, it's against the law.
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Good friendly service and reasonable pricing with a great atmosphere. I hate to complain but I found the clam chowder a LITTLE bit too salty. Either way, it's definitely a good place to try! They have red chowder too! Not just the white kind like everybody else.
Well it was cold day and this was the only place out in the open that sells something hot so....
6.95$ for a breadbowl + chowder is same as any fastfood. Some places like Togos charges more I think. Not bad for a shop in the middle of a touristy area....
Its just food you really need to have especially right beside the pier when the wind blows and you really have to have something in your tummy....
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It's not 4 stars because my friend works here but because I truly do enjoy their made from scratch chowders. Occasionally I like to bust my ass down here on a chilly day and enjoy a hot steaming bowl of chowder in a Boudin's bread bowl. I love finding huge, irregular chunks of celery, clams and potatoes. Top it off with some oyster crackers and you're good to go.
Their steak fries are a fave of mine as well. They arent like youre regular fries at fast food joints where is thin as a stick. These are big and thick. It's kick ass with their ranch sauce. No joke.
If you're getting the steak fries you might as well get their clam strips. Juicy and chewy inside covered by a crunchy albeit oily outside. Delicious nonetheless.
It's not all seafood. They have chicken here as well.
Prices are reasonable so go try it out for yourself.
They have white clam chowder and red clam chowder here. The white is the usual creamy, chunky hearty chowder. And the red chowder is more of a tomato-based soup. Reminds me of Borsch soup, similar tangy, slightly spicy taste with bits of clam. It's actually quite tasty as a soup, but it just doesn't feel like clam chowder.
After sampling both chowders, we settled for the white one. $6.95 for a clam chowder on a bread bowl. That's pretty much how much it cost for clam chowder around here. Cheaper than a lot of places, but not as cheap as the ones on the sidewalk.
Okay back to food.
Clam chowder: slightly on the salty side. But nice thick consistency. Killed it along with the bread bowl (the only time I would eat sourdough)
Chili cheese fries: decent. too much beans, too little cheese.
Onion rings: didn't try. but looked heavily battered.
This review may be a bit bias since I use to work here back in the days (who didnt work at the pier 39???)
having worked there I know all their secrets! I actually remember how to make the chower by scratch..and let me tell you..that shit aint easy- its a whole lot of labor!!! Their chicken strips are SOO good and they have breaded zucchini, mushrooms, fish, etc...
If you want chowder that's made FRESH from SCRATCH then be sure to stop by Chowders..but if you want to get chowder that's heated up from cans...go elsewhere.
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most places start their clam chowder from a can, not this place! from scratch, their chowder is made thick, tasty and with lotsa clams. Theyre crab sandwich is to die for as well! real crab meat!!!
My friend and I were hankering for some chowder, and decided to check this place out. The menu consists of fried seafood, fries and onion rings, a few sammiches and salads too. Prices were reasonable considering the tourist trap location - $6.95 for chowder in a large sourdough bowl; fish and chips was $8.50; a crab and shrimp Poorboy was $7.89. The chowder wasn't mind-blowing, but still decent. Service was quick and efficient, but several tables had not been cleaned. Sure it's not a " fine dining" experience, but it's fun and easy on the wallet.
BLAH! It's nothing special there! I had the Clam Chowder and I was not impressed one bit. I actually think the chowder they serve at BJ's restaurant is tastier and I HATE BJ's Restaurant. My daughtger had the chicken strip snacker and it was average. My husband had the fish and chips, which i enjoyed. If it weren't for the fish and chips I would have given this place two stars. I also like that the soda is self serve fountain because the cup they give you for your drink is teeni tiny for $2.00!!!
My number one pick for clam chowder in the city. It's nice, thick, and fulfilling just like chowder should be (well at least in my opinion). After finishing the chowder, the bread bowl is soaked in all the chowder goodness. I make trips to Pier 39 solely just to eat here! Definitely a must try!
I ate here for the first time on a class trip in elementary school, you know, during a time when boy bands were cool and Santa was real - basically a period of poor judgment and naivete. Of course I look warmly back on those years, and Chowders. Unfortunately, after a recent revisit, I found that like many childhood memories, the real thing usually falls short of satisfying the ideal image in our head.
The chowder tasted so much better back then.
I would much rather advocate Souplantation's version over the goopy blandness of Chowders' chowder, which is very disappointing considering San Francisco is well-known and respected for its take on this classic. The unappetizing consistency seems to lend itself to cornstarch, or other artificial thickening agent, rather than cream and the surrounding bread bowl isn't freshly baked on site or even warmed up before serving. And even with the warm soup inside it, the bread tastes cold and dry - a wimpy complement to the chowder.
This place epitomizes all the distinguishing qualities of a TOURIST TRAP. Prime location, pricey fare, poor quality, and deceptive "Best soup in town!" sign - LIES!!! I prefer to keep my first bowl of Chowders tucked away next to my horrific and awkward prepubescent memories of getting my first pimple in the third grade and always being taller than all the boys on Picture Day.
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One of my favorite places to go while in San Francisco. Chowders in located at the end of Pier 39. I love clam chowder and fried zucchini so this place is a little piece of heaven for me.
I know it's a little touristy, but that's what your going to get when you go to Pier 39, it's how I discovered Chowders in the first place.
Aside from that fact. They really do serve really good chowder. Their sourdough bowls are so soft in the inside, a little crispy on the outside. Sprinkle on some hot sauce and your good to go. Their fried zucchini are some of the best I've ever had. I just wish that I wasn't so far away from the place.
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Some of my favorites said this place was good, so I thought I'd give it a shot over Boudin for once - bad move. Their white clam chowder is more yellow than white, looks more like an adhesive more than a chowder, had lots of grit and very little flavor... other than clam, which was the only good thing about it. It came in a nice sourdough bread bowl, but I bet they just bought those from the nearby Boudin bakery. So, it was decent, but I'm not going back for the chowder, especially since there's a Boudin just across the way. I know neither is truly awesome chowder, but this is more about me looking for a convenient lunch than the *best* ;)
l do, however, want to go back and try some of their fried foods next time - fish n' chips or chicken n' chips sounds good to me!
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4 stars because the bread for the chowder bowl is actually better than the places around it... better than Boudin's. and price is better as well
i dont like the $10 minimum credit card rule.
If you want really good clam chowder then this is the place! Ok I know that everyone who comes to SF knows about Boudin's and that is fine if you are only there for the bread! This place is not fancy, but I think it is seriously the best stop for clam chowder on the Pier! It's a bit pricey, but worth it!
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Mesmerizing chowder. Their clam chowder bread bowl rocks. The wait is definitely shorter than going down to fisherman's wharf or to Boudin. You gotta eat outside on the terrace for the full effect. I know they use canned chowder here, but the combination of the bread bowl and the sea air with the seals barking in the distance just makes it taste so much better. More so on a cold cloudy SF day for some reason. Plus you can get a cookie next door after you're done. When my friends want a tour of SF this is on the short list of places to go see/eat at.
Touristy place that is overpriced. So why five stars.
Before Bimbo's 365, there is nothing like a wharfside bite to give you energy for dancing. The great thing about a joint like this is the "turn em and burn em" concept. Unlike other restaurants you might enjoy before a show that are locals type experiences... they will get you in... and out.... almost before you sit down.
They also have bottles of wine not too expensive.... frankly... wine and a chowder bread bowl is not the fuel for dancing, but I do my best. Cheers!
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I was prepared to review chowders and be the lone four-star rating, thus drawing the scorn of fellow Yelpers, especially my Mission neighbors. But how surprised was I to not only have an awesome shrimp sandwich here today (which they were totally cool with doing it no mayo - probably one of few requests like that of the day), but also to see that other Yelpers agree?! One star short of the full deal due to lack of seating, but that packed shrimp sando almost made up for it...
Chowders is YUM. First of all, if you love fried, non-greasy seafood, fast and efficient service, and affordable food, Chowders is the place for you.
My boyfriend and I had the white clam chowder in a bread bowl, an order of calamari and chips, and a side of popcorn shrimp. The wait for our food was 5 minutes, which is pretty fast for a lot of places... considering they have to deep fry the food. The calamari, popcorn shrimp, and chips definitely hit the spot. The white clam chowder was also good, especially since it was thick and creamy.
Overall, Chowders is a great place to eat. Talking about it makes me want to go back to San Francisco just for some Calamari and chips! I'm for sure coming back! (=
Are you people on crack? Have you ever had New England clam chowder in New England? This is some barely passable chowder, tasting like it came out of huge Costo barrel of "New England Clam Chowder." Kind of floury tasting, on the thin side. Ick. And the sourdough bowl definitely less than fresh....not simultaneously soft and and crunchy like a good sourdough should be. It may be cheap, but for this dissatisfaction I think I'll go buy some I heart SF magnets or something.
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I was absolutely thrilled to finally come across a place in San Francisco that serves Manhattan (red) clam chowder, and Chowders didn't disappoint! The soup is rich, spicy, and chunky, just like it should be. As it was my first experience with red clam chowder in a bread bowl, I quickly learned that this variety soaks into the bread much quicker than the white, prompting me to eat faster. But when it was all done, I found that a years-long craving had finally been satisfied, and I can't wait to go back!
My favorite fish and chips in the city, so far. The chips are nothing special, but the fish is good quality and not greasy at all. The price is nice, too, considering the many places you can wait in line for 45 minutes, pay $15, and get a grease headache for the privilege of eating at.
I don't eat clam chowder...clams scare me so I cannot review that. THe other items on their menu are always fresh and hot! There crab cakes are good, poor boy sandwiches are off the hook!!
If you looking for some "hit the spot" fish and chips go here!!!
Everything here is fresh and made after you order it. They have seating indoors or outdoors and they supply lots of lemon and tartar sauce. I hate tourist destinations and the flashing of cameras makes me dizzy; however, chowder's is a great place to eat seafood out by the docks.
Dishes are served on crisp parchment paper in red baskets...gives that sense of nostalgia. The location is fabulous because there is something about windy sea air that makes me soooooo hungry! Kinda like how you get hungry after swimming....you'll get that here.
I live in SF and like any other city snob, despise tourists...but after my jaunt in Europe, I've vowed to be kinder & more considerate to the gawkers. So...of all the places to get clam chowder @ Pier 39 including SF's famous Boudin, this place gets my money for the following:
1) Shorter line than Boudin.
2) Free refills.
3) Red & white chowder...athough, I mean, who the hell gets red anyway? I like the option.
4) Fantastic sourdough bowls.
5) Cheap-ish...now, you can go down further into the tourist trap that is Fisherman's wharf on a weekend and pay 1.00 less in one of those kitschy stalls, but, the peace-of-mind (real or fake) that you'll be less likely to get a tummy ache is worth the extra buck. Plus, you'll need the energy to fight through the hoards of people going to the wharf.
They also have really good fries. If you want any of the deep fried stuff, be prepared for a wait...as they don't pre-fry which is nice. I had some of my friend's chicken strips today and I liked them even if they were a little pricey.
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friend was craving clam chowder in a bread bowl. for Pier 39 prices, the cost at Chowders is reasonable. the chowder is a bit too thick and taste generic.
I like the crab sandwich and batter fried mushrooms. I'll only come back if I am in the area with out of town visitors.
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I have never had New England clam chowder, but I have had horrible imitation chowder from restaurants here in LA. Comparing imitation canned chowder to Chowders clam chowder... Chowders win by a landslide!
Before I went up North for the weekend, I had a bowl of clam chowder from Boudin's here in LA. It was thin, watered down, fishy, and very salty and of course, there were absolutely no clams. The day after we arrived we went to the Wharf to eat at Chowders. It was cheap, fast, and tasty! The chowder was thick and creamy. It was not salty or had that fishy taste to it. There were real clams and plenty of it! It came out piping hot and very tasty. It was just what I needed for a muggy afternoon in the City.
We also ordered crab cakes. I'm not a big fan of it, but I liked it here. Can't say much for the sauce, but the crab cake was tasty for me with just a bit of squeezed lemon juice.
Chowders is cheap & quick and it's light which makes it a perfect lunch stop for a day in the City.
Avoid the crowd over at Boudin and go to Chowders. The food is fast, fresh, and worth the price. If you want some chowder, you get the option of red or white. I don't know of any other place in SF that even gives you the option. However, the chowder we bought was made with too much flour and not enough clams. Boo. My fried clam strips and chips, on the other hand, were perfectly done. Not overly fried and the ratio of batter to clam was a good balance.
For some reason, people never eat the sourdough bread bowl when they order the chowder. That's perfectly good food you're throwing away! There are starving children in Africa, people! EAT THE BOWL!!!!
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I live in the city and I know chowders is a bit expensive but totally worth it. Their chowder is 100% homemade I sat at the bar and watch them make it. Creamy tasty white clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl. And their fried food is hard to pass up, with thick delicious steak fries. And they even bread their own fish, mushrooms, and zucchini dipped in homemade sauces. This is a must hit place if your from out of town or just want some good food. And their staff were so friendly with great service and very fast. No wonder their lines run far out the door.
The ONLY place at Fisherman's Wharf where you can get RED clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. I can't come to San Francisco and not eat here. I absolutely love this stuff.
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"are you guys on crack" indeed.
No kudos.
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