Swan Oyster Depot
Although I lived just one block away in San Francisco, CA, I had absolutely no clue about the famous gem in my neighborhood – Swan Oyster Depot – until I had moved away. After I realized I had missed out on my opportunity to just walk around the block to grab a bite at a San Francisco classic I made a vow that I would make an effort to eat there some time when I was back in SF. An opportunity presented itself when my wife Connie was scheduled to have tonsillectomy surgery at the nearby hospital (had she been able to go with me to eat there it would have been the perfect opportunity!).
Menu options
While headed to the hospital on a Thursday (February 23, 2012), Connie and I drove by Swan Oyster Depot around 12:30pm and saw the crazy long lunch line to get in. I didn’t have enough time to whip out my camera to photo-document, but the line was easily 30-40 people long! Do those people work and how long do those people have for lunch?! Thank goodness I was not going to attempt to eat there at that time but later in the afternoon with a friend of ours while Connie was in surgery.
The Swan story
Swan Oyster Depot is a tiny place. The setup is basically a deep room with a counter that runs down the middle of the room until you reach the wall that separates the dining area from the kitchen. One side of the counter is for the workers, and the other side is set up with stools for the patrons. I didn’t do an actual count of the number of stools but I’d estimate that there are only 20 spots or so, and the spots are snug. You’ll definitely bump elbows with your fellow diners.
Horseradish . . check
Rayna and I got to Swan’s around 4pm and although it was not prime dining time there was still a line to get in. While waiting in line we salivated at the different menu items available as we watched food being prepared, served, and eaten. Thankfully, the line was short and we just had to wait for four people in front of us before we got seated.
We decided we had to try a couple of dishes:
- mixed dozen oysters
- seafood combination salad
- smoked salmon (with smoked trout)
- sea urchin
Once we had put in our order we got our drinks and some fresh sourdough bread to tide us over until we got our food. The first dish that came out was the mixed dozen oysters which was made up of Blue Point, Miyagi and Kumamoto oysters that day. There were four of each kind so for two people it worked out pretty well. For any fan of oysters one could have easily polished off the mixed dozen by oneself but since we did have a number of other dishes still to come the six oysters apiece worked out perfectly. Mmmmm, so delicious . . . .
The mixed dozen oyster plate made up of Blue Point, Miyagi, and Kumamoto oysters
After slurping down the oysters to open up our appetites we were ready for our main entree selections. I had ordered the seafood salad combination plate which was just an absolute feast. Why peel and crack your seafood if you can just go to Swan’s. The dish comprised of large succulent pieces of prawns, crab, lobster, and shrimp on a bed of chopped lettuce. The portion size was huge but I’m definitely not complaining!
Seafood salad combination - large succulent pieces of shrimp, prawn, crab, and lobster on a bed of chopped lettuce
The smoked salmon dish is typically pieces of smoked salmon served with french bread and a side of shrimp salad, but for a little extra, Rayna had pieces of smoked trout added to the dish in order to try both types of smoked fish. “It’s all in the technique . . . and the freshness of the fish of course” one worker kept telling us as the diner next to us gushed about how incredible the smoked fish tasted. The smoked fish did not disappoint . . . the smokiness in the fish was indeed amazing!
An order of the smoked salmon dish with smoked trout added
We decided to finish up with some sea urchin. It’s been a while since I’ve had fresh sea urchin out of the shell. I still recall my first experience many years ago in the Caribbean when we picked up some white sea urchins off the sea bed, cracked them open, and enjoyed the rich, creamy, yellow roe – mana from the sea. But I digress. Swan Oyster Depot served black sea urchin (Stronglycentrotus franciscanus) presenting the “roe” on the half shell. Sea urchin is a delicacy, but it can be an acquired taste of sorts as it can have a unique texture which some people may not like. When sea urchin is served in little portions you might not be able to taste the texture, just the rich flavor e.g. when it is in sushi. I’m not sure if it’s because it was black sea urchin or if it was due to actual whole pieces of raw sea urchin as it was served at Swan Oyster Depot, but it seemed like the texture of the sea urchin tasted a little different from what I had had before. It was definitely still very fresh but the texture seemed a little firmer and more “filtery”? Essentially, the “roe” or yellow meat is the sea urchin’s reproductive system so the roe isn’t necessarily just eggs as one may think. I surmise that the unique texture may be related to the accompanying gonadal tissues. Whatever the case, the sea urchin still tasted great.
It's not every day that you get to have fresh sea urchin
All of the ingredients were incredibly fresh and tasted absolutely delicious. No wonder Swan Oyster Depot has been around San Francisco for a century and still consistently gets top marks from everybody, not just foodies and food review agencies! For those fans of Anthony Bourdain it probably is no surprise that Swan Oyster Depot was featured recently on his new show “The Layover” when they showcased San Francisco as he openly admits to always being at Swan’s whenever filming in SF. Swan Oyster Depot is most definitely a San Francisco institution and a trip to San Francisco should include this stop. My tip for potential SF visitors – skip the stalls and restaurants at Fisherman’s Wharf and go to Swan’s Oyster Depot instead! You may not be right by the ocean but you wouldn’t be able to tell by how amazing the food is.
Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1101
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