Anchor & Hope

Amazing Place! The Food is Exceptional. My second time visiting here from the Monterey Bay. First visit, we ordered the Seafood tower, OMG that was Delicious! Second visit, Shrimp boil: It was quite the experience. This place has certainly become «Our Place» while visiting San Francisco.

Had a reservation. Walked into very loud, unorganized space, but were determined to give it a go. Stood by «please wait here» sign… kept waiting… kept waiting… kept waiting… tried to wave someone down… kept waiting…
you get the drill. so then we left.

I had the experience I was expecting to have. Anchor & Hope is well-​situated for the business lunch crowd. Located in the heart of fidi, accepts reservations, and lends itself well to small and large groups. Needless to say, was here for a work lunch.
Service was a bit on the slow side. Our waiter offered up a few suggestions, one being the trout which I ended up going for. Pretty disappointing dish. The trout was honestly so sorry looking. It was the thinnest piece of fish I’ve seen in some time, honestly equal ratio of skin to filet. A few others in our group went with the salmon which looked more exciting. Still confused on the waiter’s rave trout review. Le sigh.

Came here for a quick happy hour before heading to an event with some friends. We were greeted by a not so friendly hostess, which gave us some pretty bad vibes to start off with, but the other staff members were nice so that made up for it. We each got a glass of wine, the fried chicken bites, and fries and malt vinegar. Everything was pretty decent but nothing to brag about. The portions are SO SMALL, even compared to most other happy hour menus. I did really love the décor and the nautical feel throughout, so I’d like to come back and try it again for dinner. Overall, just an okay happy hour, but it was a nice place to start off the night!

Service is hella slow. Took 30 minutes for them to take our order. But barely more than 15 to get our food after we ordered. Food was very good. The salmon was tasty. Were quite slow about refreshing my drink as well.

I came here for HH, specifically their $ 1 oysters, which is on weekdays from 4:30−6. The restaurant has nice décor and a dim, laid back vibe that’s perfect for hanging out after work. Also, it’s not crowded at all, so you don’t have to worry about fighting to get a waiter’s attention to order before HH ends (we all know how painful that can be in the city…).
They also have an extensive beer menu. I got really excited when I saw Pliny from Russian River on the list but it was less palatable at the price of $ 15 for a bottle. Excellent beer, but ridiculous price. We also ordered fries to share — $ 6. Fries weren’t very good, so don’t get that.
I recommend coming here only for the dollar oysters during HH, the prices for the rest of the food seem pretty insane, even by SF standards. However, their good service, lack of wait, and plenty of space will make me a return customer whenever I’m in the mood for some oysters.

Wait, wait and wait some more. Thankfully a busser brought us these chips and aoli. The bus staff was good actually. For such a good looking restaurant, cool build out near location they could have hired more waiters. We counted two. And when we were on the cusp of just ordering from the bar, our gal came.
Great beer, but you’ll pay for it. The food wasn’t memorable, mushy sprouts, water thin clam chowder. The west coast oysters were fine. Two people 170 bucks without tip. We were robbed.
Anchor & hope your server comes.

Fantastic place! Definitely one of my favorites in SF. Not only is the food delicious, ambiance perfect, the best part is the staff. Starting with Mr Danny Barrious (general manager), the entire staff is accommodating and very friendly.
Our most recent visit was about three weeks ago. We had made a reservation at a different restaurant online, and upon arrival we were told the restaurant was closed (strange since they had accepted our reservation). Understanding it was late (approx. 9:30), and hesitant to make staff stay late at any restaurant, we decided to give Anchor & Hope a chance. Mr Barrious was very welcoming and adamant that it was not too late to have a quick meal, continously coming over to recommend wine and chat.
Kudos to Anchor & Hope! we will definitely return.

Really popular spot for business lunches in FiDi. Whenever we take a new hire out to lunch, this is one of the go to restaurants. Fancy but not too fancy, and the food is always on point.
Free chips come with every meal, and they are definitely addicting. Lobster roll is delicious and comes with huuuge tater tots. Mussels are good too-​the sauce is a little thicker than I thought it’d be, but I still ate the whole plate of that tells you anything. If you’re going to get an appetizer, definitely go with the bacon wrapped oysters. The fried greasy flavor pairs so well with the ocean, saltwater flavor.
I would definitely suggest making a reservation, which is easy even for same day. It is fidi so parking is either slim or expensive.

I happened upon this restaurant while roaming San Francisco looking for something good to eat. I passed so many restaurants I just couldn’t decide. I saw this one, walked in and immediately loved the ambiance. It has an open layout and lively atmosphere.
Since j wasn’t too hungry I went straight to the main course. They did bring complimentary homemade potatoes chips and a dipping sauce. For my main course I ordered the Grilled Tai Snapper which was served with what I believe was broccoli rabe, spinach farro and a butternut squash purée. I’m not sure I have the details right but what I do know is that the flavor combination created a celebration of flavors in my palate! There was a hint of orange in the dish and the citrus flavor complimented the dish perfectly.
I was trying to behave so skipped dessert but there was a Chocolate Tres Leches on the menu I really REALLY wanted to try. Hopefully next time!

Came here after work with a coworker for a beer and some oysters. We sat at the bar and was impressed by how not packed it was. We ordered a half dozen of oysters and some beers. I had the kolsch (yum!).
Oysters were amazing. Fresh and all kinds of great. Wish it was happy hour so they weren’t so expensive.
The service was okay but a little off. We asked for suggestions for oysters and she didn’t really help us at all. If you work at an oyster restaurant– you better know your oysters.
All in all, I would come here again for oysters and a nice meal… Hopefully with a better server. :)
— — — — — UPDATED REVIEW — — — — — -
Came back ¹²⁄₃ at 5:30 during happy hour with my boyfriend. He wanted to grab a beer. We were on our way to a work function and had some time to kill before we arrived.
He had the green bullet beer– really great choice!
We shared a dozen oysters ($ 1 during happy hour). We sat at the bar and were the only customers there.
What a difference service makes when you’re the only customer compared to my last visit. We had three servers helping us and asking us if we needed anything.
Definitely come during happy hour to take advantage of their great deals!

I came here based on recommendations from a friend to try the Lobster roll with tater tots. It was DELICIOUS.
Ambiance: Very cute, upscale type place. Everyone was wearing businessy clothes and look very professional. I came from the airport and they had a bag check to hold my suitcase, which was really nice.
Drinks: Didn’t get any
Food: Lobster roll with tater tots!!! SO good. I made sure to ask for the homemade chips and aoili, and dipped the tater tots into the aioli sauce. They are massive, crispy on the outside and mashed potato like on the inside. The lobster was very fresh and whatever it was mixed with was delicious.
Rating: 4.5÷5.
Overall: Would love to come back and try other things here! They had $ 1 oysters for happy hour…

We were in SoMa and were super hungry and walking past Minna St, I saw Anchor & Hope. Through friends recommendations, we ducked in. It was almost 9pm Friday and didn’t need a reservation for a table of 4.
Ordered a bottle of prosecco which was fabulous (forgot the name). Baby octopus and ceviche appetizers was tasty too.
It is a ‘fish’ based restaurant so I chose the snapper for the mains and my party ended up with fish and chips + the lobster roll which was all generous servings.
They catered to my gluten free intolerance and our waiter was lovely.
The setting is great, with bar seating to eat casually or table settings.

I came on a Friday night after work, and I was told that there would be a one hour wait for a table for 3. However, I left my number and the hostess had a table ready for me in 15 minutes. The servers were patient even though my friends were an hour late.
The food is more on the expensive side as expected, but the quality was fine. We had the medium seafood platter which included a dozen oysters, 8 little neck clams, large prawns, ceviche, and crab salad. The oysters were in different varieties and free of sand. They were good, though not amazing. We also got the clam chowder, which lacked a bit in flavor because it was rather thin and not as creamy as I would’ve liked. The desserts were great! The Darkstar cocktail was good but a little too sweet. There were many varieties of beer to choose from.
Overall, nice atmosphere and food was reasonably fresh and good.

Awesome place for happy hour! If it weren’t for my friend, I’d have never found this little place with it hiding away in the little alley like Minna street.
Once you step inside you are immediately greeted with a surprisingly open and well lit cafeteria-​like seating area with the bar sprawled out over on the left side. A waitress promptly seated us and very kindly informed us that HH was only going on for about another 15 – 20 min so we should order quickly, lol. Ended up each getting a glass of bubbly, an assorted dozen of oysters, and a pair of BACON WRAPPED OYSTERS (say what!!!)
All super delicious, very fresh, and not bad at all for HH in the city. Usually any place with $ 1 oysters gets super crowded, really fast… but maybe people just haven’t caught wind of this spot fully yet. The bacon gems were a lil pricey, but definitely worth trying at least once. I mean… Bacon. Do you really need another reason?

Wednesday, August 5^th: National oyster day & International beer day
Two things I love to consume! I had to celebrate. Easily made a reservation for 2 through OpenTable (
) for dinner at 9:45pm.
Food:
*Complimentary chips and dip
*Seafood plateaux: half dozen oysters, six shrimp, five little neck clams, crab remoulade, ceviche ($ 58 small)
*New England clam chowder, smoked bacon, oyster crackers ($ 8 cup)
*Gulf prawn scampi, savory clams, aleppo, white wine sauce, grilled levain ($ 18)
*Anchor & hope lobster roll, pain de mie bun, tater tots, stevie’s coleslaw ($ 28)
*Blackberry panna cotta: macerated blackberries, cardamom ($ 7)
*Strawberry shortcake: pound cake, macerated strawberries, crème fraîche whipped cream ($ 7)
The seafood plateaux was my favorite. The oysters, shrimp and clams were fresh with a wonderful sea flavor. The crab remoulade was okay, but I felt we needed a carb to eat with it. Maybe I should have used the complimentary chips? I didn’t care for the ceviche as it was too sour for my taste. The scampi and lobster were both good. The clams and prawns were nicely cooked and the white wine sauce very flavorful. The lobster roll buttery and tender. I loved the tots! I didn’t care for the clam chowder at all as it had carrots so it had a sweetness I didn’t care for. Desserts were pretty good. I liked the panna cotta. The strawberry shortcake was a little dry.
Beer:
*Headlands ‘pt bonita’ bohemian pilsner: san francisco, california, 5.3% abv ($ 7)
*North coast ‘old 38′ dublin dry stout: fort bragg, california, 5.4% abv ($ 8)
*Allagash ‘curieux’ barrel aged tripel: portland, maine, 11% abv ($ 8 for 6oz)
*Pinkus mueller: ‘pinkus’ pils, munster, germany, 5% abv ($ 10 for 500ml)
Lots of beer between the two of us! My favorite was the Allagash curieux. It was my first beer. Strong and smooth. I’m still at a loss when looking at beer menus, but I enjoyed all the beers we ordered.
We came close to closing, but our waitress was awesome! She never made us feel rushed. And she was very attentive. Kept the beer flowing.
Fun place to celebrate a day dedicated to oysters and beer. Would definitely come back for that seafood plate. Yum!

I have been coming here for a few years and the food never disappoints. When I am feeling healthy, I opt for the crab Louie salad with a nice, big lump of crab meat. When I am feeling indulgent, their fried fish sandwich is pretty darn perfect. They also have these house-​made chips which they serve with aioli that are pretty addictive.
But, one of the best parts is their $ 1 oyster happy hour. These guys use some quality oysters, nice and fatty. Some places give the small, skinny oysters, but Anchor and Hope always serves the freshest, tastiest ones. I always eat a least a dozen!
Nice spot, always bustling but not overly crowded, and great service.

We stopped in after work for hh. They have a limited menu, but their options were really good. They have dollar oysters; steal of a deal. They were alright. Three some lemon juice and sriracha on them. Not too bad. They were a little fishy that day, but my friend swears by them and said it was just an off day.
Their best menu item was he Angels on horseback… aka bacon wrapped oysters. Oh em geeee! Sooo delicious. Crispy bacon, yummy oysters, and a really good dipping sauce to compliment them both. 3.50 each for these… definitely worth it.
Their hh beer was really good too. A brew from walnut creek. Gotta love local support.
Oh! And we had popcorn shrimp. They are pretty good. Not anything to rave about, but definitely on he good side. I like the light batter and yummy dipping sauce.
I wish I could give this place 3.5 stars instead of 4. I went with 4 bc of the food. Wanted to give them less because their service blew. Any time anyone in my party asked for something, they said wait. Then they’d come back at least five minutes later to take one order and leave again. It was slow. They can definitely be more friendly as well. I was with seven people and each person was irritated with the servers. It wasn’t even busy!

I came here for my friend’s birthday dinner. It was perfect for the occasion — lively enough to set a fun mood, but not super loud to the point where you can’t hold a conversation. The décor and ambiance of the place are really nice. Sophisticated but not formal, it has a very hip and modern vibe.
The service was excellent. Our server was very patient with us, and gave great recommendations.
I tried some of the oysters and they were absolutely delicious. Served very chilled, and tasted very fresh. I paired my oysters with a beer from their expansive collection.
For my meal, I opted for the Lobster Roll and was happy with my decision. The coleslaw and tater tots were both so delicious.
Overall, a good experience for dinner. Not the cheapest option, but totally reasonable for the Financial District/​SOMA area! I’d definitely recommend this place for a casual dinner with friends or co-​workers.

Came here for a welcome lunch in my honor. True rating is probably 3 & ¾, but looking back through my pics is making me hungry, so I’ll round up.
***CATFISH SANDWICH, avocado, southern-​style cole slaw, pickled jalapeño mixed greens
Quite a generous slab of catfish served on this toasted bun (methinks baguette). I never know how to describe the taste of catfish flesh besides «slightly dirty», not in a repulsive or overwhelming way – maybe «earthy» is the right word. Not quite creamy & sweet, though. The coleslaw was rather subdued, and there frankly wasn’t enough avocado to notice – the sandwich would have been become forgettable as is, but when I unloaded the entire side of pickled jalapeños & carrots directly therein and started dipping the sandwich in the creamy dressing of sorts that was intended for the chips, it instantly gained some character and made a tasty finish.
The mixed greens with cherry tomato, radish, & cucumber was surprisingly gardeny & fresh, with a light vinaigrette of sorts to carry it through. A plus where most fail.
ALL IN ALL:
Mind not blown, but after a little tweaking, ya got yerself one pretty satisfying sandwich there. Next time I’ll have to try the Angels on Horseback.

Kann leider nicht allzu viel Positives vermelden:
Den von mir probierten Speisen fehlte der Pfiff bzw. sie waren m.E. schlicht misslungen. Die «Mixed Shellfish Platter» war geschmacklich ziemlich uninspirierend und mein Hauptgang «Sea Scallops» (Jakobsmuscheln) war total verwürzt. Kollegen, die den Ahi Tuna probiert haben, waren mit diesem allerdings ganz zufrieden — auch optisch war er schön anzusehen (der Neid umso größer wegen der misslungenen Jakobsmuscheln ;-)
Das Ambiente ist ganz nett, aber der Service war penetrant-​aufdringlich.