The Old Clam House — Restaurant in San Francisco

☀️ A Lunch That Became a Memory at The Old Clam House

There are moments when the soul simply needs a break—a space to pause, breathe, and enjoy. That’s how, around 4 p.m., we found ourselves at The Old Clam House, a place filled with history and flavor, nestled in the heart of San Francisco.

The atmosphere was cozy and full of charm, with wood-paneled walls, warm lighting, and vintage details. But what truly made the experience special was our server, Freeman. He wasn’t just kind and attentive—he proudly shared the story of the restaurant and its owner. To me, that speaks volumes about the heart of a place: when a team member speaks highly of their boss, it shows respect and appreciation. And happy staff always deliver heartfelt service.

We started with a seafood platter—crispy calamari and shrimp, perfectly seasoned and fried to golden perfection. Then, we each found comfort in our entrées:

🥩 I had the 12 oz. Prime Ribeye, grilled to perfection—tender, juicy, and full of flavor. It came with creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. It was everything I needed on that day: satisfying and grounding.

🐟 Miguel chose the Local Petrale Sole Piccata—a delicate white fish fillet, gently bathed in a lemon butter caper sauce, also served with mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. Light, refined, and simply delicious.

To drink, we enjoyed a cold local draft beer, the perfect pairing for both meals.

And just when we thought the experience couldn’t get any better… Freeman returned with a raspberry panna cotta, a sweet gift from the house.

“You can’t leave without dessert,” he said with a smile.

That gesture sealed the afternoon with sweetness and warmth.

This wasn’t just a lunch—it was a reminder that good food, genuine hospitality, and kind hearts still exist.

Thank you, The Old Clam House, for giving us a beautiful memory we’ll always treasure. We will return—without a doubt.

Review written by Lizdalia, a dreamer at heart and a lover of details...

This was our first time to The Old Clam House. We went here because of the reviews & not too far from home. We arrived at 5pm & there were only 3-4 tables having early dinner. We got to seat ourselves in a booth with curtains (like a semi-private room especially if you close the curtains). The decor was old fashioned but clean w/nice silverware. The vibe was relaxing w/70s or 80s music. Our waitress was very friendly. We ordered the original clam chowder in a bread bowl & the clam chowder w/bacon+whole clams. They were $12.99 ea. The original clam chowder was ok. We liked the crunchy bread bowl but the chowder was a bit on the salty side. We didn't really liked the chowder w/bacon+clams because it was so watery that it was like soup w/a few bits of potatoes, onion, bacon & 4-5 whole clams w/shells in it. Our waitress was nice enough to void that item off our bill. The kettle chicken was also a bit too salty & dry. I liked the crispy yams pieces in it though. The seafood in the seafood black linguini was good but the black linguini made w/squid ink sauce was a bit too salty as well. The calamari was decent. The fish & chip $10 from the kids menu consist of 1 big piece of fish fillet & lots of fries. My teenage son ate the fish filet after adding some salt & pepper because it was too bland. But he didn't like his fries for some reason. He didn't even want to take the fries to go. Normally, he loves fries. We call him the Fries Monster because he can eat a large order of fries from McD himself. Everything after taxes minus the clam chowder w/bacon+clams came out to be $110 (Tips separate). For the price, we were not impressed w/the food or the ambience. We probably won't...

I was really excited to get the chance to eat at this establishment. I already knew what I was going for, the sizzling platter of mussels and shrimp, Cioppino and a good beer to compliment my meal. I had read that a complimentary shot of clam juice was served at every table that was disappointing. I noticed only a certain tables received this complimentary drink. We placed our order including a side of bread. We got the sizzling platter but no bread, I had to ask for it. Unfortunately we were almost done with the shrimp and mussels it would've been awesome to have been able to enjoy the bread with the garlic butter sauce that I poured over the platter( I noticed that the server did the honor of pouring the butter over other clients platter) I forgot about the service once I had my first taste of the Cioppino. I'm a big fan of Cioppino, I've tried it all over the Bay Area and I must admit that this Cioppino is by far the best I've had. While others are a bit acidic from the tomatos this Cioppino had buttery flavor which made it more pleasant on the stomach acids. My compliments to the Chef if it wasn't for the food I definitely wouldn't want to eat here again. I want to believe that it was on a Sunday evening and being Father's day that I wasn't able to get the service we deserved because for dessert I wanted to enjoy the tres leches cake with a Mexican coffee but the bartender was too busy to make it happen. I'm a great tipper for great service, the delicious food allowed me to give a 25% gratuity. I will definitely go back on a...