The Old Clam House at 299 Bayshore Blvd. got a fresh review Tuesday. Mission Local now covers the Bayview, and its food writer Maria C. Ascarrunz used the occasion to review the old seafood house. She called it the city's oldest restaurant still operating in its original spot. Tadich Grill is older but has moved several times.
What to order
Every table still starts with a small shot glass of hot clam broth. Ascarrunz called the clam chowder "some of the best clam chowder I've ever had," smoky from bacon and very creamy. She also praised the fried calamari with marinara and serrano peppers.
Her main course, the local petrale sole piccata, was the high point, and she wrote that it "might be better than even Tadich Grill's." A friend's ribeye also got good marks. The cioppino, one of the house specialties, costs $40. It was full of clams, mussels, prawns, calamari and white fish, though she expected a bigger portion. The garlic cheese toast fell short of the old cheesy chorizo bread, which is gone. She also noted there aren't many vegetarian options beyond a few salads and two pastas.
A long history
The restaurant first opened in 1861, the same year as Tadich Grill. It closed for two years during the pandemic. The San Francisco Standard reported in June 2022 that Filomena Florese, who also owns Mona Lisa Ristorante in North Beach, had bought it that February from former owners Jerry Dal Bozzo and Dante Serafini, and that she was reopening it. The Standard also mentioned a 2011 renovation. Mission Local's review puts an earlier ownership change in 2010 and says the owners then promised to keep the ambience and update the menu.
The Standard reported 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily hours when it reopened. Check current hours before you go.