Pier 23 Cafe
Pier 23, The Embarcadero
San Francisco , CA
(415) 362-5125
See larger map and more nearby
VdV Rating: 4
Ambiance: Casual
PRO: Fun scene, outdoor patio on the bay, great live music
CON: Not that much
So we hit Pier 23 (again) the other Sunday and were reminded why this place rules. Good tunes, good times, ran into some random friends and just bottom-line made for a killer Sunday. And for a change I’m just gonna jump right into the meat (ewww) rather than beat around the bush. Wait. I think I prefer the latter. Anyhoo…lest us not digress.
First if you’ve never been here: P23 is a very laid-back spot. Not quite a dive, but getting close. Kinda kitschy place, perfect for its spot on the Embarcadero. We need more places like this! Come here for food or drinks it’s all good enough. Not like it’s gonna rock a big ‘ol Zagat rating but the food does the trick, the drinks are good and the scene is all about kickin’ it with friends. So if you’re into that stuff, great. If not, WTF are you reading VdV for?!
Top reasons to love Pier 23:
Especially on a sunny day it’s hard to beat- Great outdoor patio on the Bay
- Awesome live music scene. We saw Eric Lindell on Sunday, a band outta New Orleans and they definitely kicked it up a notch
- Seems like you always run into someone you know (and actually like)
- Fun, pretty eclectic…OK very eclectic crowd. Bikers to suits to just regular folks.
- Low d-bag, and d-hag (yes, the term we are coining for female d-bags. You heard it here first!) quotient. Woo hoo!
- Killer Mahi Mahi Fish & Chips ($14.25), the fish is great, the fries are a little too match-sticky for me for this dish, but the Mahi makes up for it
- Great House Salad with Bleu Cheese ($7.25) Nope, not kidding, it has this awesome dressing with soy in it.
- Pretty strong drinks!
If you don’t like Pier 23, you need your pointy little head examined.
Top reasons not to like Pier 23:
- You are one of the aforementioned d-bags. Or d-hags. Please continue to stay away.
- Bikers bother you. Not saying you need to like bikers, just the ability to co-exist. Don’t get intimidated most of ‘em are suit-wearing white collar lawyers or (unemployed) bankers Monday-Friday anyway
- You avoid fun
- You got dumped here at some point and blame the venue, not yourself.
The Nachos (10.75)…you’d think a joint like this would do it right. But no. As with Pizza, KID (Key Ingredient Distribution) is, well, Key. This pile ‘o chips is coated in about an inch of cheese on top so nothing under gets any queso love. And then the black beans and chicken are underneath. So none of it is mixed up. The salsa is on the side, so again no melding of flavor-ness. Nachos should be an orgy of goodness, these suffer from ingredient segregation.
VdV Rating: 4
Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30a-10p
Sat: 10a-10p
Sun 10a-9p
Pier 23 Café
Pier 23, The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA
(415) 362-5125
