Deck the Halls with Dungeness Crab in San Francisco

Your Best Bets for The Best Crab in the Bay

The changing of seasons can be hard to determine in a city as temperate as San Francisco. But if there’s one time of the year locals know best it’s now—Dungeness crab season. You can catch other crab species year-round, but recreational Dungeness crab season opened on Nov. 6, and will allow seasoned and first-time crabbers to set sail along the coast in the hopes of catching dinner. Individuals can take home up to 10 crabs a day, provided that they measure over 5¾ inches. And some crabbers deliver.

Or maybe you’d rather make a dinner reservation. Seafood has always been a Bay Area dining staple, and San Francisco takes its crustacean cuisine seriously, with an abundance of ways to enjoy it that include Euro-Asian fusion, Italian and distinctly Californian dishes. From dining in Michelin-starred restaurants to having the catch of the day delivered to your house, here are the best ways to get your hands on premium Dungeness and more this crab season.

A North Beach classic, this Italian seafood restaurant pairs crustaceans with class, and a lavish wine selection. Their cold cracked crab is perfect--while you can get it.

Recommend: Well, they don’t call it “the best damn cioppino in town” for nothing!

This sit-down restaurant, which happens to be Sotto Mare’s neighbor, doubles as a fish market, so you can take your dinner home with you to make again later.   

Recommend: The Linguine Granchio, with crab to spare.

If you’d rather dine-in or experiment in your own kitchen, Sun Fat has the biggest selection of seafood in the lower Mission. 

Run, do not walk, to this fancy fusion spot, courtesy of the incomparable Master Chef Helene "Mama" An. This is crab, with a tamarind twist. 

Recommend: The Drunken Crab, served in a three-wine broth.

Brace yourself for a boat-to-table experience as you slurp crab legs overlooking the San Francisco bay from this upscale eatery at the edge of Pier 39. 

Recommend: The Garlic-Roasted Whole Dungeness Crab, but also the brioche Crab Roll.

This women-owned-and-operated fish delivery company is currently training its fourth generation of crabbers and fishers. And it’s poised to keep providing you with quality crab and other creatures all year long. You can even have it overnighted — for a fee. 

Recommend: The “I Love You” crab dinner will have you and your partner swooning.

This fishy business was started to help restaurants and foodies source their seafood from small, local fishers, and pivoted to home delivery during the pandemic. You can order the raw ingredients, or pre-made meals that just need to be reheated. 

Recommend: (Crab is currently unavailable) Their egg-stentive selection of caviar.

Get your crab fix in one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods in this old-school diner, from cioppino to crab cocktail to salads, but why would you want a salad?  

Recommend: The crab cake entree, and maybe an oyster shooter, too.