Hog Island Oyster Co. — Restaurant in San Francisco

As San Francisco locals, my girlfriend and I decided to take advantage of the unusually hot day by strolling along the Embarcadero, heading specifically to Hog Island Oyster at the Ferry Building. My girlfriend adores oysters, and since we don’t go out often due to the expense, it felt like the perfect opportunity for a special date night.

My first ⭐️ review 😒 in 2024

Upon arriving, we noticed that all the outdoor tables were occupied, with one woman ahead of us waiting for an outside seat. Hoping to enjoy the warm weather, we approached the host to inquire about the possibility of sitting outside. He informed us that there were no available outdoor tables but that we could get in line or opt to sit inside.

Choosing the latter, we agreed to be seated indoors. As there were two of us, the host grabbed menus and directed us to the bar rather than a table. Glancing around, I saw at least ten empty tables inside. I politely asked if we could sit at one of those tables instead. The host replied that those tables were reserved for groups of three or four. I pointed out that no one was waiting for an inside table and that there were plenty available, but he firmly said no and suggested we wait for a smaller table.

Feeling puzzled, I asked if he would rather have us leave than seat us at one of the empty tables. He reiterated that the larger tables were not for parties of two. His demeanor was dismissive, and it seemed he didn’t care whether we stayed or left. Not wanting to be a “Karl”—the male version of a “Karen”—we decided to take our business elsewhere.

As a small business owner in DTSF, I was surprised by such an attitude. It made me wonder if perhaps our patronage wasn’t valued because we didn’t fit the profile of the obvious rich gullible tourist. I had been nothing but polite in expressing our preferences, and it was disheartening to be treated in such a careless and disrespectful way.

Looking at the reviews afterward, we noticed that while Hog Island Oyster boasts a 4.6-star rating with many praising the friendly service, some reviews mention it being overpriced, a tourist trap, and even instances of food poisoning. It seems we weren’t the only ones to have encountered an insensitive person at the front of the house. Perhaps it was a good thing there was no table for us.

We ended up finding another restaurant nearby where we enjoyed oysters, amazing drinks, and exceptional customer service, spending $120 on our date night. Not everyone is a tourist, and not everyone remains silent about being mistreated.

Local Recommendations Nearby:

• Waterbar • Ozumo • Terrene • Cavaña • Kaiyo • Fog...

I visited this restaurant with my family for dinner yesterday. There was a long line of people waiting to be seated. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, and the food was excellent. The clam chowder, in particular, was absolutely delicious—so much so that if I visit again, I’d be tempted to order one just for myself.

HOWEVER, the experience during the seating process was disappointing. After a long wait, we were finally assigned a table outside. There were two empty and ready-to-serve tables right next to each other—one directly beside the line of waiting guests and another slightly further inside. I politely asked the hostess, “I am sorry, but would it be possible to move to the other table? If not, that’s okay—we can stay here.”

To my surprise, she reacted by making a sound as if she were offended, her face turned red, and she looked visibly upset. She switched the table but then tossed the menus onto the table and walked away.

I understand that it was busy and that working under such conditions can be stressful. Still, I wasn’t demanding a table change, refusing the original seat, asking for something far away, or requesting a table that didn’t exist—I was simply inquiring about a table right next to the one we were offered, and I made it clear that it was fine if it wasn’t possible. There was no reason to respond with such rudeness to a polite request.

I didn’t want to ruin the mood for my family, so I told them, “She’s probably just having a rough night.” But I decided this was worth mentioning here. If I return on a future trip, I would hope not to encounter a staff member who greets a customer with that kind of expression. At the very least, I’d like to be met with someone who can simply say, “Sorry, but we’ll need you to stay at this table,” when a customer asks a...

My husband and I drove from San Jose, CA last night to try this place out. We get there and get it in line to wait for a table and I end up going to the restroom because I was in the car for an hour, all while my husband is in line. When I come back in to the line, my husband and I switch places in line so he could go to the restroom. I was next in line to be sat and the host approaches me and I said, “I would like to put my name down for 2.” And he said “we don’t put names down here, guests wait and then get sat. And then he said “by the way did you just get in line? Because I was talking to everyone behind you and I don’t remember talking to you.” I had to then explain, “my husband left the line to go to the restroom.” I didn’t get an apology or anything. To me all of this was so unnecessary to say, the seating information could’ve just been dismissed by him saying. “Okay I’ll seat you in a bit.” And as a guest I just made me feel so awful and frustrated when he asked me about my place in line, I WOULD NEVER CUT IN LINE. Also, how do you expect for someone to feel after you tell them that? It was not cool at all.

We did end up loving the food though, clam chowder was delicious with a side of bread and my husband got the oyster po boy that he liked too. Our server was also very kind to us, just wish he would’ve checked back more often because people always like hot sauce with their chowder.

Message to the host: be kinder with your words, don’t always assume the worst in people. People come from all over to try this place out. You want to make lasting guests that will continue to come back. The last thing you want to do is make someone feel bad and not have them come back because of your service. Think about it like, how you would you want to be treated as a guest at...