Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
$
The producer of what's probably the most beloved fast-food burger in
America,
In-N-Out Burger
555
9
(333 Jefferson St., at Leavenworth; no
phone; www.in-n-out.com; MC, V; daily 10:30am-1am)
occupies a near-mythic
role in the Western American burger lover's palette—yet, their loss, most
Midwesterners and Easterners have never even heard of it. The chain, which is
100% privately owned and serves no pre-frozen food, began in Los Angeles in the
late 1940s and judicious expansion has restricted its fewer-than-100 precious
locations to three states: California, Nevada, and Arizona. This is the only one in
San Francisco. You'd never know it from the menu posted in the restaurant (which
is led by the Double Double, a double cheeseburger), but there's a second, “secret”
menu available—every In-N-Out fan knows the lingo. “Animal style,” the most
popular variant, means that mustard is fried into the meat patties and you get
pickles, extra sauce, and extra grilled onions. “Protein style” is for Atkins slaves—
it replaces a bun with lettuce leaves. “Extra toast” means your bun will be toasted
and crispy. Clerks, who are paid substantially more than the state minimum wage
laws decree and are consequently courteous and capable (the company is regularly
praised for keeping some of the country's best business practices), will make any
variety you can dream up, down to mixing chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry
shakes into a Neapolitan, if that's what you choose. French fries are fresh-cut from
whole potatoes and fried to order, and once you taste their natural crispness, you'll
wonder why you put up with McDonald's for all these years. Many locals would
never set foot in Fisherman's Wharf if not for this place. The line can be enormous
here, but it moves quickly; if the dining room is full, which it usually is, there are
more tables out the side door in the courtyard.
$$-$$$$
Homemade chowders, fresh fish dishes, and a cheerful, kid-friendly,
warehouse-like atmosphere make
Blue Mermaid
9
(471 Jefferson St., at Hyde;
%
415/771
-
2222; www.bluemermaidsf.com; Sun-Thurs 7am-9pm, Fri-Sat 7am-
10pm; AE, DC, MC, V)
a popular place to eat at the Wharf where you won't feel like
you're interrupting a fish market. The lunch and dinner menus are nearly identi-
cal, including in price: sandwiches around $14, chowder by the bread bowl $10
($8 in a standard bowl), or a plate of fresh daily fish for about $24. At lunch,
though, there's a good deal for the Wharf: chowder or salad, a fish dish, and a
choice of a drink including beer or wine, for $20.
$$$$
If you insist on having a sit-down meal at the Wharf, prices be damned,
then
Scoma's
(Pier 47 on Al Scoma Way at Jones Street;
%
800/644
-
5842 or
415/771
-
4383; www.scomas.com; daily 11:30am-10:30pm; AE, MC, V)
is a popu-
lar choice with a Bay view that serves some half-million customers a year. Whole
Dungeness crab is about $27 here—that's about $10 more than what it would
cost at a stall outside—and crab-cake sandwiches are $17. Pricey, but portions are
generally enormous. I also appreciate the “lazy man's cioppino,” in which the crab
has been shelled for you (not the usual preparation). The restaurant is fairly old
school, with waitresses who have been there since dirt was new. There's also a kid's
menu.
