This California Seafood Restaurant Serves Crab Cakes Like No Other

I once tried to make crab cakes at home and ended up with something closer to fishy pancakes. That’s when I learned: some things are better left to the pros.

Scoma’s in San Francisco has been perfecting their crab cakes since the 1960s, and trust me, they’ve figured out what the rest of us haven’t.

Here are seven facts that prove this waterfront legend serves crab cakes unlike anywhere else.

Brothers Built a Coffee Shop Empire

Back in 1965, brothers Al and Joe Scoma opened a tiny six-stool coffee shop on Pier 47. They served hot coffee and fresh catch to hungry fishermen before dawn.

What started as a humble breakfast spot grew into one of San Francisco’s most famous seafood restaurants. The brothers knew fishermen wanted real food, not fancy stuff.

Today, that same pier location still welcomes guests with the same honest approach to seafood that Al and Joe started nearly sixty years ago.

Fish Station Means Fresher Than Fresh

Most restaurants get their seafood delivered by truck. Scoma’s built their own enclosed fish-receiving station right on the pier in 1993.

Fishermen can literally unload their catch straight into the restaurant’s prep area. No middleman, no delays, just boat to kitchen in minutes.

That’s why their crab cakes taste like the ocean just handed them over. When you bite into one, you’re tasting seafood that was swimming hours ago, not days.

A Street Named After a Legend

Not many restaurant owners get streets named after them, but Al Scoma wasn’t your average owner. In 2002, San Francisco renamed Jones Alley to Al Scoma Way.

This tiny alley runs right alongside the restaurant, honoring the man who turned a coffee counter into a seafood institution. It’s a permanent reminder of how one family changed Fisherman’s Wharf forever.

Walk down Al Scoma Way today and you’re literally following in the footsteps of a San Francisco legend.

Lazy Man’s Cioppino Is Anything But Lazy

Cioppino is a messy seafood stew that usually requires bibs, crackers, and serious elbow grease. Scoma’s signature Lazy Man’s Cioppino skips the shell-cracking struggle.

Every piece of seafood comes pre-shelled and swimming in Mama Scoma’s famous tomato broth. It’s called lazy, but the kitchen does all the hard work so you can enjoy every bite without wrestling a crab leg.

One spoonful and you’ll understand why this dish has been on the menu for decades.

Celebrities Can’t Resist the Crab

When Michael Jordan, Brad Pitt, and the entire band U2 want seafood in San Francisco, they head to Scoma’s. This place has been a celebrity magnet for decades.

Stars love it because the food is incredible and the staff treats everyone the same, whether you’re famous or a first-time tourist. No velvet ropes, no special menus, just amazing crab cakes and waterfront views.

If it’s good enough for rock legends and NBA champions, it’s definitely worth your visit.

Chef Gordon Drysdale Champions Local Catch

Since 2014, chef Gordon Drysdale has run the kitchen with one rule: seasonal and local seafood only. No frozen imports, no shortcuts.

Drysdale works directly with local fishermen to bring in whatever’s freshest that day. His crab cakes change slightly with the seasons because he uses what the ocean offers, not what a catalog promises.

This approach means every visit to Scoma’s offers something special based on what swam into the bay that week.

Sausalito Sister Spot Doubles the Fun

Scoma’s loved their San Francisco location so much they opened a sister restaurant across the bay in Sausalito. They partnered with the Gotti family to bring the same pier-fresh philosophy to Marin County.

Now you can enjoy those legendary crab cakes with a different view but the same commitment to quality. Both locations share recipes, suppliers, and that family-run feel that makes Scoma’s special.

Two locations mean twice the chances to taste perfection.