Brunch at Pier 23 Café

Neighborhood: Embarcadero
Parking: Paid lots or street parking
Kid friendly: Yes

Pier 23 café is a place my husband and I like to go because they have an amazing oven roasted crab. We prefer to sit outside on the patio so it is best to go on a sunny or partly cloudy day. (They do have indoor seating but it is mostly a bar area)

We took Atlas for brunch a couple weeks ago and he loved it. He liked being able to sit outside because he could see the water and the seagulls. It was not crowded when we went so we let him walk around on the patio. He hates sitting in a high chair so it takes work to keep him entertained in a restaurant. The outdoor seating really helped.  

On sunny days the restaurant gives you straw hats to wear so we borrowed a couple for photos and to help keep Atlas busy.

As far as food, my favorite dish is the Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab. It is sautéed with sake, garlic, lemon and tomato and served with all the juices so you can dip your sourdough bread.  If you want this I recommend calling ahead because they only serve it if the crab is in season. Other items worth trying are the Mussels and Clams as well as the Clam Chowder and the Crab and Shrimp sandwich.

They do have a kids menu but we gave Atlas some of our clam chowder, bread, crab and the pasta from the mussels.  He was totally happy with all the food so he didn’t need his own kids meal.

This restaurant is close to some of the most popular tourist attractions along the Embarcadero so if you park in a lot nearby you will end up spending $25-$40 just to park for lunch. I recommend looking for metered street parking a few blocks away and walking a little.

Enjoy!

Ana