Sinbad’s Pier2 Restaurant

I had my prom dinner at Sinbad’s in 1981. My step father who worked for Bechtel Power on Beal st. Would wine and dine clients, and our family enjoyed so many special dinners to celebrate the occasions in our lives. Thank you Sinbad’s for all of the terrific memories

A piece of my heart has sunk to the bottom of the San Francisco Bay.
Many things contributed to Sinbad’s being memorable. Some of them were good.
You can still see the stone patio tables lying next to the rubble.
Curious as to where the Sinbad mannequin is today.

Came here on a weekday and like some, bought a groupon. I wouldn’t return even if the prices were what i paid. I just can’t imagine charging for ½ of its regular price as the meal was so sub-​par. Groupon allows you to have 2 glasses of beverage, 2 entrees, & 1 dessert to share (within a specified amt).
Came on a weeknight to avoid crowd. Excellent view. No doubt about that. Everything was highly salted. My chowder was extremely salty. (Not even sure if they cook it from scratch). The veggies were so bland and soggy. May have been batched steamed or boiled (?) I ordered a fish entrée w/​mushroom sauce. Not much mushroom. Again the sauce which i didnt’ have much of was highly salted.
I rather just pay regular priced at a decent restaurant than to pay ½ price for sub-​par meals.
Like others have expressed, it has certainly changed alot since 2 decades ago. It used to be have a very good reputation. Too bad I didn’t come here for senior prom meal. :)

Goodby and good riddance. As I wrote in a review** some years ago, this may be the only seafood restaurant in SF where you should avoid the seafood. A beautiful view and fantastic location? Yes. Enjoy both from outside this establishment.
** for some reason my previous review is not tagged to my account, but there is good entertainment value in many of the more recent reviews. Kind of sad that the location is slated for non-​restaurant business (s), but there are SO MANY quality options in the area I suspect any «fond memories» will fade quickly as the «regulars» discover fresh, properly prepared, and flavorful food and SF worthy dining experiences.

I mean really this is a classic dive! A true SF landmark and I’m sad I didn’t know it was closing! After the G.O.B. cruise I rolled in with a fellow Unilocaler. he said this was one of Anthony bourdains stops when he was in the bay. That got me so I’m like let’s do this. OK if you don’t know what a true dive bar is and I’m not taking hipster dive bar then you’re missing out. We didn’t try the food since we smashed so much on the cruise. But once we got in you get hit with the dark wood low light and old jams on the radio. We grabbed a seat at the bar and started a conversation with the bartender. It’s great to talk to the old school guys they keeps it real. He till out orders and hit me with a stiff drink and I mean damn that was on point! We sat at the bar for a bit and started talking to a few folks from Texas. This was an great experience. I am glad I made a stop before they closed their doors!

I rolled to Sinbad’s with a fellow Unilocaler for a Drink after Gay On The Bay. I have always been
Curious for years but have never stopped by. I used to go Crabbing on the pier behind Sinbad’s in the old days. But what really got my attention was seeing Sinbad’s on Anthony Bourdains Bay Area Episode Of Parts Unknown .
My Unilocal Associate and I entered Sinbad’s and it was like a flash back in time. There’s a Statue Of Sinbad in the front Foyer. There’s a Cute little bar. This is where Bourdain filmed his segment. This is also where my Unilocal Associate and I stopped for a Drink before Barting back to the Eastbay .
Sinbad’s has Million Dollar Views Of The Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. Our Bartender was Great tons of personality and has tended bar at Sinbad’s for 16 years. He explained the fine points of Mixology. I had a Stella and my Associate had a Vodka Cranberry .
Sinbad’s bar seems to be a very Social Place. While being their we had Conversations with 4 lovely ladies 2 being Travelers from Texas. It was quite a good time.
I personally think Sinbad’s is a San Francisco Landmark and its a Shame that in 2 weeks Sinbad’s will be closed forever and Torn Down. I wish I could get their Brass Last Call Bell for my Man Cave as a Souvenir Of A Time Long Forgotten.

All I have to say is to please steer clear from Sinbad’s. If I could give zero stars I would.
Although it seems like the perfect location right on the water, the food was inedible and the atmosphere was almost hostile and… Scary! I ordered a steak while my date ordered a scallop seafood dish. My steak was grey with absolutely NO FLAVOR, none (red flag). My date, his dish had two scallops sitting on some sort of strange, waxy, curdled, slop. We ended up just paying for our champagne and refusing to pay for the food we ordered. Our server (nice guy) understood why we didn’t want to eat the food he brought to our table. Almost as if he has received the same complaint several times before. Please don’t risk a date night here. Looks are deceiving!!!

I am usually pretty lenient with my stars. This place though, requires some tough love.
The outdoor patio and the cute rustic sailor theme of the establishment are really great. However, it’s like opening the cutely wrap gift box only to find smelly sock in it.
Food is unappetizing and dessert was probably store bought or old (apple pie a la mode). The service was, well, downright horrible. No smile or friendliness. People seated beside us left because the server didn’t come to take their order for a looooong time. (No, it was not busy)
Such a shame, considering this place has lots of potential. Maybe one day the smelly sock can be washed and made into cute sock doll. Maybe.

09.25.15 etc.
If you view Sinbad’s as a place for drinks after work, usually with outdoor group seating and a great view of the bay (and the ferry terminal), you won’t be disappointed. Maybe just drinks and not the food, though?

Big big mistake coming here! Ugh, like previous patrons we did not Unilocal this place. Never again! We just had clam chowder and mushrooms, we asked for French bread being in San Francisco and all, and our waitress brought out sliced sandwich bread! Unbelievable…
I think she was punishing us for not ordering their overpriced entrées. Scary, should be no stars!

Awesome view Awesome Breakfast Awesome service! This is my new go to for breakfast. I refuse to stand in line for food in SF. There are too many delish places to eat. I love the name, old décor, big tables, and of course the view. My Crab Cake eggs Benedict was so tasty and my Bloody Mary’s on point. Everyone was friendly and upbeat. I read
So many snotty reviews, this generation needs crowds and attitude (barf) gimme a break. This place is old school and cool as hell!

Best view in San Francisco — WORST chicken caesar I’ve ever had.
Waiter arrived with monster tip already in the bill. No No No…

A colleague wanted to try this before they closed. By far the worst restaurant that I have been to in the area. Looks really shady on the outside and things only went downhill from there.
I ordered the Vegetarian Wellington which came really quickly for something that is baked. I bet it was microwaved because of how hot it was in the middle and all the unmelted cheese on the outside. The dish looked nothing like a real Wellington. It had too much cheese and the puff pastry was all soggy. Even the potatoes it came with were lukewarm and under seasoned. Overall a terrible dish. The overwhelming urge to puke only a couple of hours later confirmed this. I am glad I didn’t fall too sick from this. I would say stay away and try something else in the ferry building. There are too many good options available nearby for us to patronize this restaurant.

There are VERY few restaurants I’ve been to in my lifetime that I could say I was queasy AT the table from the look and taste of the food.
From the moment we got our food, We knew we made one of the worst culinary dining mistakes of our lives. We fell for it. We fell for it hard. A tourist trap of the highest level. Being a Bay Area native, this was the hardest fact to swallow. We’ve lived here all our lives. We thought we could pick out a rip off, deadly dinner experience from over the god damn Bay Bridge. We thought wrong. We questioned ourselves. How could we do this? What kind of people were we to enter this place with curiousity and be delusional enough to think we’d get something of somewhat stomach satisfaction?
I literally could go to the store, buy the cheapest canned tuna, turn it upside and let it flop out right on some crusted over wonder bread and that right there would be miles ahead of taste and flavor of SinBads restaurant. It would make my tuna dish French Laundry stature compared to here.
Please, for the love of anything holy in the food world, don’t EVER set foot in this place. Show yourself and others, YOU, an SF native or not, are better than that.
Good luck to you.

Oy. Usually do not trust places with less than 3 stars. And for a good reason. We landed on Sinbad’s on an uncharacteristically sunny afternoon, so naturally wanted to sit outdoors and enjoy a weekend cocktail or two.
One star for the view, and one for the average service.
This place needs some serious updating inside and out. Food and drink are mediocre at best and grossly overpriced.
Best case scenario — let’s overhaul this prime real estate into an inviting, clean and energetic spot to wine and dine!

Let me start off by saying that my husband and I love eating great food at restaurants: we are very picky. We came to Sinbad’s via Groupon.
Before arriving last night, a Saturday, we were pretty anxious since we had read such terrible reviews. We were prepared for the worst meal of our lives!
So we enter and expect a nasty fish smell as described in past reviews. Sure it didn’t smell like strong perfume but the restaurant is all open and literally ON the water! Smelled like the ocean to us.
The statue at the entrance is not even worth talking about. It’s funny and «original», if anything.
We were welcomed and seated on a booth with a great view on the Bay Bridge, by the manager, a pretty nice man. The bright blue seats at the booth didn’t look like they were from the year 2000, but they weren’t damaged or dirty or from the 80’s either! Quite comfy and we had room and intimacy which was appreciated.
As the night came, the restaurant got darker.
It was a pretty romantic atmosphere with candles. For people looking at the ceilings: who looks at ceilings in restaurants??!
We looked because of the comments but didn’t see anything dirty or weird!
Our waiter was very outgoing, making jokes from the start. Water and hot bread were brought to us immediately after seating down.
The people next to us were a group of 4 celebrating a birthday, a couple in their 30’s and various families (probably tourists). Nothing like a nursing home as described below.
We ordered two Cesar salads, scallops, blackened snapper, an apple pie à la mode and glasses of white and red wine. The food came less than 5 minutes later.
The salad was small, very simple, but not bad by any mean. The sauce was well dosed (not too much, not too little), the lettuce was fresh, lots of croutons, a bit of shredded cheese. I do agree with other Unilocalers on this point, that salad (10,50 $) is a small side salad and is a bit overpriced, even if we are on the water. It’s worth 6 $ max as there aren’t any special ingredients in it and for its size.
The main courses, however, were not overpriced at all. You are eating good, fresh seafood on the water and the portions sizes are very good. As the picture shows, I had huge scallops, they were perfectly cooked and there was a very good amount of them.
In France, not on the water, in good restaurants, we get way less for the same price! Leaving you always wanting more.
My husband liked the snapper a lot too, well cooked, a bit of bones at first but great quality. The veggies that came with the seafood were broccoli, zucchini, green beans and potatoes. They were pretty crunchy /​fresh, maybe steamed, pretty good.
The apple pie à la mode tasted good too.
I am giving this restaurant 4 stars because of the location, the service and the seafood served. We had a good time.
It’s probably not a restaurant we would come back to often since we love trying out new places, but once in a while, for a «romantic», traditional dinner on the water, why not?
If you like scallops, it’s an expensive dish in general, so why not have a big fresh & good plate of them at Sinbad’s for the same price you’d have them in town for a littler plate.
I think the reviews below are doggedly and a bit extreme… A cup of coffee alone in St Tropez –France is over 12 $, so eating with a view adds a few dollars to each dish too. To be expected anywhere.

You know how some people just have a morbid curiosity and are determined to discover things on their own and for themselves — regardless of what it might do to their own health? That was how I felt about eating at Sinbad’s. I’ve read the reviews. I’ve read the health department warnings and write-​ups. And yet, I still had this insatiable urge to eat there.
So, of course, when I found out that Sinbad’s was closing its’ doors (supposedly anyway — I’ve heard they’re currently defying their settlement with the Port of San Francisco and are fighting to stay put), I dragged Boyfriend down there for a farewell lunch. And to finally satisfy my curiosity about the place.
The first thing I noticed walking in, aside from the creepy Sinbad mannequin in a glass box, was the very strong smell of bleach and mildew. You know that chemical cleaner smell that a lot of children’s play places and public restrooms have? It was like that, but stronger. The ceilings were made of drooping, water-​damaged cork board and the interior is sadly dark, dated and a little run down.
We were seated immediately (we were also the only patrons at first) and given menus. Let me tell you, I’m pretty familiar now with San Francisco tourist pricing, but these are still pretty steep — even for seafood lunch pricing along the pier! One couple who walked in after us actually walked out again after looking at the menu and seeing the prices. Luckily for the restaurant, it started to fill up after that.
I had originally wanted to order the lobster and shrimp ravioli (thanks to this infamous photo of it:
), but decided not to punish myself so severely and ordered the angel hair pasta with prawns instead. Boyfriend ordered the English fish and chips.
In short, the food is pretty much what the other reviewers have stated it to be — overpriced for what you’re getting. My pasta was pretty bland, very oily and only had 4 little spongy-​feeling prawns. I ate all the pasta, but left 2 of the prawns; the texture and the taste were a little off-​putting. Boyfriend’s only comment on his fish and chips were that they reminded him of the fish sticks of his childhood, and not in a happy, nostalgic way. Still, though, better than what I had anticipated. And the food did plate very pretty.
It was a pretty steep bill for what I thought was only so-​so food (about $ 50 just for lunch, without any alcohol), but then I had also walked in knowing I would be overpaying for whatever I got. In all honesty though, the food ended up not being as bad as I had imagined it would be. Service wasn’t terrible, but I felt that any lapse in service I was seeing had to do with the fact that the staff seemed to think that it was going to be their last day of employment.
Overall, I’m glad I got to finally experience this San Francisco classic before it closed its’ doors for good. I’m also glad it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I could see how it must’ve been a pretty lovely establishment, back when it first opened, but it’s sadly become a run down has-​been of a bygone era.

Tell me it ain’t so!!!
Sinbad’s is an iconic treasure and a living part of history. Many a great person has been here to celebrate, gather, discuss the day’s event, politics to theology, solve city and world problems, find a place to unwind and appreciate the beauty of the Bay. The entire staff has become like family and friends whose cast of characters together will never be matched. I say, «expect miracles» and let’s keep Sinbads cooking for anther 40 years!!!

If I could give zero stars, I absolutely would. Our waiter was terribly rude, not asking if the food is ok and just plopped the food on the table and ran off. He served the table next to us with the same disconcern.
The tuna melt we ordered was sub-​par, a single slice of bread with canned tuna and pre-​sliced cheese. I would have expected more for a $ 17 dish.
I would highly recommend staying away from this place at all costs. It looks like it’s going out of business anyway, very outdated décor/​interior.

This message took me a long time to consider, and several tries to rewrite this, in an attempt to be as fair as possible. So it’s been done with due consideration for their reputation.
My step-​daughter wanted to have a family private party in SF on the waterfront. it was for her 1yr anniversary of having a heart transplant. We had gone here once before, she liked it, and loved the view, which as most here have given praise, as it is breathtaking.
I planned it in advance with their coordinator, and we all were looking forward to the evening. The evening was going well.
The wait staff was generally attentive. The food for 31 was not expected to all come out at the same time, but there was roughly a 15 minute lag between the first entrée and the last, so guests were waiting trying to be polite to other family members, while their food got cold. Then the last person to get their meal was my husband, the person paying the bill, about 20 min into service.
The food was not spectacular, but was when one guest reported to me they had a hair in their food I took notice. When 3 people reported seeing cockroaches crawling on the table, with one being smashed by the guest who was repulsed… that’s when I made a decision… despite ruining the evening for all, I was prepared to shut it down if another instance occurred. Fortunately it did not.
However, when it came time to pay, they added insult to injury. When I expected to see a bill in the neighborhood of 3000 to 3500 (soup, salad, open bar, entrée, apps and dessert for 31 people, the bill came to 4700. We sat down, and I was very surprised in the beginning they were matter of fact about it. It wasn’t until I began challenging every line item did it become apparent what happened.
They charged for 39 people. We had to go down our list with them. Their ability to detail the bill was nonexistent. We spent 30 min, and then they came back with an offer that better reflected 31 people but no consideration for the hair found in the food or cockroaches. So I asked them to think about what they thought was fair. They did, however my husband was not in a mood to continue a debate given just coming back from Asia 2 hours before the party.
Bottom Line — The view is great, the wait staff (some, others were not) were gracious and attentive, bathrooms are gross, poorly maintained, wet all over on the ground, etc. as many have said. Food good but not great. You definitely are paying for the view.
I would recommend to the ownership to shut the place down and thoroughly steam clean the entire restaurant, upgrade the bathrooms, and above all routinely spray for pests, especially being on the wharf. You would better serve your clientele by making this investment in your restaurant. Make the restaurant commensurate with the world class view.
UPDATE — It looks like another party had a similar experience as us last night… very disappointing. I really think you owe the public doing what I suggested to regain confidence with the public, since you only have 2 stars overall on Unilocal.If I owned this place I would take more pride in it, and actually address the deficiencies that your clientele are bringing up rather than placating them on your responses. Actions speak louder than Unilocal responses.

We stopped in here to have a drink to wait for the ferry to Sausalito. I can’t say much for the food or the service inside, but the view is spectacular outside.
We ordered a peroni, a glass of champagne and a tiramisu and sat outside. The tiramisu was big and creamy with a surprise of raspberry inside, it was marvelous and so was the view.

What a pretty shithole. Unilocal said it was awful and it was. The interior of Sinbad’s is pretty once you get past the horror house wax replica of what I suppose could be Sinbad. Seriously, that creeped me out. The staff was nice, I guess. Okay they were but there is only so much paint you can put on the rats. There are linen covered tables inside and the seating is nice. We passed the bar and that was standing room only. Seems like there are lots of regulars who come to drink.
L and I sat outside in the fresh air. A lovely view of the bay! The seagulls have no fear of hoo-​mans and will come right up to you. We saw one eat butter packet, foil and all after one party left their table. As Unilocal stated, the drinks are strong. That is a half star and the view is the other. We ordered calamari and fried clams. We are on the wharf for goodness sake! If you are going to charge me almost $ 14.00 for a plate of squid, I better get the rings and tentacles not some frozen pieces of I don’t know what. The only saving grace was the batter was fresh but since there was sooooooo much of it, it nullified itself out. The clams were horrendous, tasted like burnt fish oil.
I should have just sucked it up and gone to Pier 39 and found something there.