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Seafood
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Day-boat catch, wild Bay Area species, and fishmongers who know the difference between line-caught and trawled. San Francisco sits on one of the most productive fishing coastlines in the world.

The fish at a real fishmonger was probably in the water yesterday.

WHY IT MATTERS

Most seafood sold in American grocery stores has been frozen, shipped internationally for processing, re-frozen, and shipped back. The label says "Product of USA" because it was caught here — but it left and came back.

San Francisco has Dungeness crab in the bay, salmon off the Marin coast, halibut at Half Moon Bay, and rockfish year-round. A real fishmonger bought it off a boat this morning.

🦀
Dungeness crab season is open now through spring. This is the best time of year to buy from local boats at the Wharf and at market fish stalls. Ask for SF Bay crab specifically.
SF SEAFOOD SOURCES · PROFILED
H&H Fresh Fish
Day-boat catch · Clement Street Market & Richmond
DAY-BOAT ▼
H&H Fresh Fish is an anchor vendor at the Clement Street Farmers Market and a Richmond District institution. They source from boats out of Pillar Point Harbor (Half Moon Bay) and Bodega Bay — two of the most productive small-boat fishing ports on the Northern California coast. The selection changes weekly based on what's running: Dungeness crab in winter, salmon in summer, halibut in spring and fall, with rockfish year-round. This is the closest most SF residents will get to boat-to-table fish without driving to the harbor themselves.
WHAT THEY CARRY
🦀 Dungeness crab (Nov–May) ☀ King salmon (May–Oct) ☀ Halibut (spring & fall) Rockfish (year-round) Lingcod Sand dabs Live shellfish (seasonal)
At: Clement Street Farmers Market (Sun 9 AM–2 PM)
Source ports: Pillar Point / Bodega Bay
City Fish Company
Market fishmonger · Alemany Farmers Market
MARKET VENDOR ▼
City Fish Company has been a fixture at Alemany's Saturday market for years, serving the Bernal Heights and working-class SF customer base that Alemany draws. Their pricing reflects the market's ethos — affordable, not aspirational. They bring the same Northern California catch that you'd find at premium fishmongers, without the premium markup. For anyone who shops Alemany, City Fish is one of the essential stalls.
WHAT THEY CARRY
🦀 Dungeness crab (in season) Salmon (in season) Rockfish Seasonal market catch Shrimp
At: Alemany Farmers Market (Sat 6 AM–3 PM)
100 Alemany Blvd, Bernal Heights
Fisherman's Wharf — Direct from Boats
Pier 45 & Pier 47 · SF waterfront
DIRECT PURCHASE ▼
During Dungeness crab season, it is possible to buy directly from fishing boats docked at Pier 45 and Pier 47. This is the most direct transaction in SF's food system — money directly to the fisherman, fish that may have been caught that morning. The experience requires knowing when boats are in (typically early morning on weekends through the season) and being willing to buy whole crab. The Wharf has become heavily tourist-oriented, but the actual working boats are still there, and buying direct from them remains possible.
WHAT TO BUY
🦀 Live Dungeness crab (Nov–May) 🦀 Cooked Dungeness crab Seasonal boat catch
Location: Pier 45 & 47, Fisherman's Wharf
Best time: Early morning, weekends, during Dungeness season
Note: Volume varies by day and season
Swan Oyster Depot
Counter fishmonger & raw bar · Est. 1912 · Polk Gulch
EST. 1912 ▼
Swan Oyster Depot has been operating on Polk Street since 1912, with five to six members of the Sancimino family working the counter on any given day. It functions as both a fishmonger and a raw bar — you can buy fish to take home, or sit at the 18-stool counter and eat oysters, crab cocktail, and chowder. The fish they sell reflects the Northern California catch directly. This is one of the most legitimate old-school seafood operations in the country, not just SF. Arrive early — lines form before it opens.
WHAT THEY CARRY
West Coast oysters (raw bar) 🦀 Dungeness crab (in season) Smoked salmon Clam chowder Fresh fish (daily) Shrimp
Address: 1517 Polk St, Polk Gulch
Hours: Tue–Sat 8 AM–5:30 PM (arrive early, closes when sold out)
Note: Cash only · No reservations
Anchor Oyster Bar
Castro fishmonger & raw bar · Castro
▼
Anchor Oyster Bar on Castro Street serves as both a retail fish counter and a sit-down raw bar. For Castro neighborhood residents who want fresh fish without going to the Wharf, it is the neighborhood option. They carry a range of West Coast oyster varieties and daily fish, and the retail counter allows buying to take home.
WHAT THEY CARRY
West Coast oysters Daily fish selection 🦀 Crab (seasonal) Clams & mussels
Address: 579 Castro St, Castro
Note: Primarily a restaurant, retail counter available
LOCAL SPECIES · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WATERS
Dungeness Crab
SF Bay's signature catch. Meaty, sweet, sustainably managed. Buy live when possible.
SEASON: NOV – MAY
King (Chinook) Salmon
Wild Pacific salmon from the SF Bay watershed. One of the great fish of the world when fresh.
SEASON: MAY – OCT
Pacific Halibut
Flatfish from Northern California. Clean, mild, firm. Excellent grilled or pan-roasted.
SEASON: SPRING & FALL
Rockfish (Various)
Year-round staple of the NorCal coast. Many species; all good eating. Often the freshest option.
YEAR-ROUND
Pacific Sand Dabs
Small, local flatfish. Underrated. Lightly floured and pan-fried is the classic preparation.
YEAR-ROUND
Oysters — Tomales Bay
Drakes Bay Oyster (until 2014) left a legacy. Hog Island and others farm Tomales Bay today.
YEAR-ROUND · BEST IN FALL/WINTER
TRACED LOCAL · EXPANDING

SF's seafood guide covers Dungeness country. The same guide is being built for LA's Santa Monica fish market, San Diego's tuna boats, Monterey's sardine legacy, and the Dungeness fleet up through Eureka. California has one of the longest coastlines in the US — and most people who live here eat frozen imported fish.