Swan Oyster Depot: SF’s Pearl of an Oyster Bar

By Caroline Carter

Perhaps you've blanched at the thought of slurping down a freshly shucked raw Kumamoto. Perhaps you only equate raw oysters with caviar, foie gras, and the other trappings of fine dining, or perhaps you’re <gasp!> a vegetarian.

If so, don’t bother reading the rest of this review – go eat a carrot.

However, if you’re someone who craves the firm, moist flesh of an oyster as often as others crave chocolate; if your idea of a great tailgate meal includes a frosty bottle of Bud, a wedge of buttered sour dough, and a dozen Hog Island Sweetwaters on the half shell; if you can barely contain your drool as you add a dollop of spicy cocktail sauce, a splash of mignonette or a simple squeeze of lemon to a meaty bivalve, then read on.

Located in the middle of Russian Hill, the Swan Oyster Depot is a throwback to a time when storekeepers knew the names of their customers and neighborhood restaurants sponsored little league teams. Half fresh seafood purveyor, half diner, this historic, family-run institution has been in business since 1912, with the same family of owner-operators since 1946.

Consisting only of a single marble counter with room for 17 stools, the Swan’s walls are crowded with hand-painted menus, old photographs, neon beer signs, San Francisco team pennants, children’s drawings, Barry Bonds bobble head dolls, diagrams of mollusk varieties, and even a mounted sailfish. Look carefully, and you’ll also find certificates of recognition for being an historical landmark, and a recent James Beard award for regional classic cooking. This place is the real deal – oozing old time maritime San Francisco, even though it’s miles from Fisherman’s Wharf.

Although the wait to sit on one of the counter’s 17 stools can last up to an hour or more (lines inevitably stretch out the door and onto the sidewalk), once inside the affable owner-operators greet even first-time visitors like long lost relatives, welcoming many neighborhood customers by name. Old women with metal shopping baskets pay for their take out orders with rolls of quarters, and men stop by for a cold beer and a chat with the servers about the recent 49ers game.

The Swan serves up fresh, unadulterated, “comfort seafood” at reasonable prices. Every day at least four varieties of oyster are offered on the half-shell ($15.50/dozen), along with one or two types of clam. Try the mixed seafood cocktail, a glass goblet of cocktail sauce jam-packed with prawns, baby shrimp, crabmeat and oysters, or order a sweet, tender Dungeness crab, served cracked and plain, and especially good in season (from now through June).

Those who want a little greenery with their seafood can order up a whopping plate of Crab or Shrimp Louie – a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce generously topped with large chunks of shellfish and a sweet, Thousand-Island-like Louie dressing. Or on cold days, cozy up to a bowl of milky New England Clam Chowder, notable for a thinner consistency than most traditional versions.

All meals are served with a plate of crusty San Francisco sour dough bread and butter. Likewise lemon wedges, oyster crackers, olive oil, vinegar, cocktail sauce, and sinus-clearing house-made horseradish are readily available to garnish whatever you order.

If you’re interested in trying out the Swan for yourself, note that they’re open everyday for lunch only, and they don’t accept credit cards. To avoid long lines, try to time your meals outside of peak lunch hours – oysters for breakfast anyone?

Food: **1/2
Service: **
Atmosphere: **
Price: $$
Overall: **1/2

(All rankings out of a total of 4 stars)

Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk St (@ California St)
San Francisco, CA 94109-3606
(415) 673-1101

Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-5:30pm

Accepts cash and check only

Food: **1/2
Service: **
Atmosphere: **
Price: $$
Overall: **1/2
(All rankings out of a total of 4 stars)

$ = $0-15
$$ = $15-25
$$$ = $25-40
$$$$ = $40+
(Dollar ratings indicate the average cost of lunch for one person, excluding alcohol.)