They have white or red clam chowder here. Red is tomato based. now that's new, something i will need to try one day. The reason I came here is because they have coupons often. just look online and you can snag a deal. the food is ok i wouldnt say super special. but cheap! read more

Go to for clam chowder bowl while @ Pier 39, decent price never disappointed with the food. Will be back soon

This place always has the most fresh clam chowder and the breadbowl is to die for! My gf had the crab sandwich and said it was very fresh and didn't hold out on the crab. read more

My boyfriend and I are visiting SF and decided to do all the tourist things including Pier 39. We tried Chowders' White Claim Chowder and was satisfied with our meal. It wasn't the BEST and wasn't the worst chowder I have ever had. My boyfriend definitely liked it better than Boudin's chowder! read more

The chowder here is much better here than Boudin. However not a huge fan of their fish and chips.

I love this place! I ordered the fish sandwich and they gave me a huge piece of fish in there I also heard that there clam chowder in a bowl is the bomb. Have to try that next time I come back! read more

I enjoy eating here because it's a quick and easy way to enjoy a bread bowl filled with clam chowder. Although I've had better clam chowder elsewhere, it is still a good meal! It is located on Pier 39 and is surrounded by various shops. A lot of tourists frequent this Pier since so you will be enjoying your meal in a lively area. When you walk into Chowders, you order near the entrance and find a place to sit. It is usually busy so be warned if you are coming with a large group of people. read more

Chowders is one of my first choices when visiting Pier 39, mainly because of its comparatively fairer prices in the area, its old school atmosphere and graphic design, and its simply well done operation of providing a good clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. They serve their clam chowder super piping hot - very awesome, although I think one time I had a less than satisfactory temperature because I was being served chowder near the bottom of the container, or whatever. Anyways, they make their chowders "with loads of clams, fresh celery and onions, diced potatoes and crispy bacon". The freshness can indeed be tasted from the chowder, and I actually enjoyed all the chunks of stuff when I normally only enjoy the clams. They have a good amount of large clams, and neither the celery or potatoes overwhelm. The large square pieces of bacon are a delightful addition as well, although I would say that the moisture has removed any crispiness the bacon once had. The celery is very crisp and has less potent celery flavor (good for me), the potatoes are flavorful and not grainy, and the clams have zero sand or shell crunch! I've had both the white and red clam chowder, and this place was actually where I ate my first red clam chowder. I did not like it: it was just the normal clam chowder ingredients, just in something similar to spaghetti sauce. It was very chunky, and I'm unsure whether they just serve a bad bowl or if people actually like stuff like this over white clam chowder. For the bread bowl itself, the top cover is just sliced off, and they've hollowed the innards out themselves, so that fleshy part of the bread is missing (must go into their "sourdough crumb coated" fried stuff). I can't comment on anything else, because I probably would always get the chowder here over their other overpriced items. I do see a lot of people ordering sandwiches and fried seafood, though, so they must be ok; the prices are just too tourist-friendly for me. I actually do think I have ordered a fried item here before prices rose, but I don't remember anything of it. One thing I would really enjoy is if they just very briefly toasted their sourdough to warm it up and give it a tiny crunch; I think it would be phenomenal. For a currently $9 clam chowder sourdough bread bowl, this is one of your best meals to get at Pier 39 - as an added bonus, food takes no wait at all! read more

Was here 12 years years ago and nothing has changed... Still the best bread bowl of clam chowder that has stuck in my memory! read more

Chowders - #MomSonDoSanFran - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

LOVED the location, food was great, would definitely recommend! Can see the bridge, alcatraz, and sea lions from right outside the window. Laid back atmosphere. read more

Chowders - Fish & chips and clam chowder bread bowl - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Everything was great until we got to the bottom of the bread bowl... a hair at the bottom. They don't wear hair nets so I'm not surprised read more

Chowders - A hair at the bottom of the bread bowl. They don't wear hair nets so I'm not surprised - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Chowder was delicious and the bread bowls were fresh! Also order seafood platter which came with a fish fillet calamari and shrimp with were all delicious! My husband ordered a crab sandwich which was basically a bomb grilled cheese sandwich with crab! We sat outside and the water view was awesome. read more

Chowders - Clam chowder bread bowls are yum. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here to order a cup of chowder to go. We didn't feel like walking to the end of the pier where all crab shacks were which probably would have better selections on chowder. For the price, the quality wasn't bad, even got a bread bowl with the order so that was nice. There weren't chunks for clams or potatoes like you would normally get from chowder. One plus was that the chowder didn't have a fishy smell nor taste. Overall, you probably could get a similar taste from a can. read more

Food was OK. Portions are small. My son got the chilli cheese fries and the "cheese" was a slice of cheddar cheese. Not what we expected. The crab melt sandwich was good. read more

Some of the best chowder you can find at Pier 39. It's served fast, hot, in the classic bread bowl. They have 2 varieties: the cream version or the red (tomato broth). There's also other seafood classics like fish n chips or crab sandwiches. It's a tourist area so be prepared to wait for a seat. Other than the crowds you can't go wrong with the food at Chowder's. read more

Service was meh. The girl at the counter really seemed like she didn't wanna be there, ( I get it, it's a job, who wants to be there but this girl had her bitch face on and that's not necessay) so when I ordered she didn't even look me in the eye and just told me the price and went to get my chowder. It's a plus that they wear gloves at least, i mean they should, after dealing with money. So yay for common sense. I ordered the white chowder thing, I finished it but barely ate the bread, it was really sour. read more

The fish 'n chips left much to be desired & the small portion / high price just made it worse! Perhaps the sourdough bowl clam chowder is completely out of this world & totally makes up for everything else?? Alright atmosphere & great location (one of the lesser expensive seafood places at Pier 39). I don't think I'll go back to find out... read more

Fisherman's Wharf was one of the places I wanted to go to when I visited San Francisco, it was a must. We didn't want to go to Boudin's since we do have that here in southern California as well, so we picked this place. We ordered just in time to avoid the line that formed while we were waiting for our food. They had red and white clam chowders along with sandwiches and other items on their menu. My friend ordered the white clam chowder in a bread bowl and I got the tuna salad sandwich and we shared. They were both tasty, and there were plenty of clams in the chowder! read more

Touristy food place located in the heart of the Fisherman's Wharf that delivers tasty, quick meal. The clam chowder bowl is a must order...the rest of the menu is not bad either. Not alot of table to eat, so it may be crowded if you go on the weekends. Worth the wait...and a must do when in San Fran. read more

Can't have a visit to SF without trying their chowder. Got the white clam chowder. My girl friend and I agreed that the broth was definitely awesome, but I think they needed to cook it longer because the celery was still crunchy. So when we would get a bite, it would be overwhelmingly celery-tasting. Other than that, good chowder broth + soft fluffy sourdough bread bowl = happy stomach. read more

Should've gotten the clam chowder, duh. I ordered the tomato grilled cheese, which came with French fries. If the menu specified that side of fries, it wasn't obvious, so I had ordered a crab cake on the side. Not only did I get unexpected French fries, but the crab cake side is actually TWO crab cakes. I got a lot more food that I bargained for! Grilled cheese was boring, but I wasn't expecting amazingness, and the crab cakes were awesome. Two thumbs way up for those guys. I mentioned the chowder because it's what my boyfriend ordered, and regardless of the amount of unexpected food on my plate, I ate a lot of his. :) the buttery bacony potatoey taste was so yummy and the bread bowl was a perfect compliment. All in all, great stop for authentic coastal food while touring around the pier! read more

I had the clam chowder in the bread bowl and found it to be good, but not that great. It was missing something for me...it was a bit watery, although the flavor was good. I didn't really eat the bread either, the top that I did nibble on was a bit tough for me. Is sourdough supposed to be tough? I don't know, I don't really eat sour dough...It was a decent little meal though. My sister ordered the Shrimp Louie Louie Salad; which she seemed to enjoy greatly. I thought it looked pretty tiny for $8.49, but whatever. read more

Fisherman's Warf and clam chowder just seems to go together. On a cold winter night, it definitely hits the spot! There are two kinds of clam chowder here: white and red. White is the normal clam chowder and red is tomato based. Not being a huge fan of tomato, I got the white clam chowder with a crab cake. About $8 for a bread bowl with clam chowder and about $5 for one crab cake. The clam chowder was good! It was something different that the normal boudin chowder (don't get me wrong, I love boudins!) There was some kind of extra spices or something I can't really explain that made it taste like normal clam chowder with another kick of flavor or something. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's just me but it's a nice different from what I thought was normal chowder. And they also have this spicy spice pepper thing that taste really good with the bread when you sadly run out of chowder (wow, i have said "chowder" a lot LOL). One bread bowl between two people can pretty much fill you up. The crab cake was good. A little smaller than I would like, but a nice satisfying side. It had a good amount of crab and the other stuff that they made it with. Overall, I would come back. Food is good, the spiced pepper thing is good (should have bought one! They sell it upstairs somewhere), prices are decent, place is a little small, but they do have outdoor seating. read more

Whenever I find myself on Pier 39 for lunch, I always hit up Chowders. They have a great clam chowder in a bread bowl that is also edible ($8.49). Last time I was there in June 2014, I also got a fish filet sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo on a sourdough bun ($9.49) and fries ($3.99). There is usually a line that takes about 10 minutes to get through. After ordering, they make it while you wait, but it takes about 5 minutes. Then you can sit outside on the pier and people watch while you eat. You also watch the birds fly overhead and cross your fingers that they don't poop in your clam chowder. I'm sure it happens- STOP FEEDING THE BIRDS PEOPLE! Love this place. Not expensive. Not fancy. Very San Francisco tourist. Don't forget to walk around the way and check out the sea lions. Love those guys. read more

For the SF local who wants to play tourist for the day, Chowders is the place to eat. The long lines at other restaurants around the pier are a hassle and the overpriced food is just annoying (unless you are actually a tourist). Chowders allows you to walk in, order your food at the front counter (which is actually not that expensive compared to other spots) and either sit inside or out. No waiting around to have your order taken or water refilled. Those perks alone make this place what it is. - Shrimp and crab sandwiches are tasty (the bread is addicting) - Chowder bowl is full of clam chunks and is probably cheaper here than at the restaurant next door or any other pier restaurant - Onion rings are addicting - Popcorn shrimp is just "ehh" If you don't feel like waiting an hour to get seated elsewhere, definitely come by Chowders. read more

I like CHOWDERS. I come here when I'm on the Pier. The clam chowder in a bread bowl always comes out nice and thick. I hardly have to put any salt or pepper in it. My boyfriend got the shrimp and chips. The fries are pretty good. I thought that the fried shrimp was good too with the cocktail sauce. But you do need the cocktail sauce otherwise it tastes a little plain. I also like that you can see the water from certain seating. There is also seating outside! 4 stars because as I was devouring my clam chowder I noticed a worker in the kitchen opening a can of clams. I am not into assumptions but, does that mean it's not fresh? dun ... dun .. dun .. read more

It's chowder. In a bread bowl! I don't know why, but everytime I visit SF, I always end up eating here and wondering why I did. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad or anything, but it's not really special. You're gonna get exactly what you expect here. There's also some other stuff you can order, like the crab cakes, which were ok, but the chowder-in-a-bread-bowl is what they are known for. It's in a nice area, so you can walk around and look at seals/sea lions, if that's the kind of thing you're into. There's also a decent crepe place nearby. read more

Really good everything! The employees are really nice and friendly, ready to help and answer questions. The clam chowder was superb. It was very hearty in a fresh sourdough bread bowl, full of clams. Great! Also there fish and chips are also quite good. The fish was cooked perfectly overall a good meal. I will surely be back! read more

Had the Clam Strip & Chips. The Clam Strips were really good, but the fries could have been better. My parents had the Clam Chowder. It was pretty good, but to be honest, I've had better. My sister has the Crab and Shrimp Sandwich. She really enjoyed it. read more

The taco bowl of the salad tastes and feels like plastic. Fish and chips is so so and too oily. read more

Chowders - Fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ordered two bread bowls.. food was ready FAST. New England clam chowder was average at best. I'm sorry, but if your name is Chowders and your chowder is not above average.... I don't want to see what your crab tastes like. I would recommend going east to the street vendors and getting better chowder and cheaper chowder then at Chowders. Place needs a name change. read more

I've been coming here since I was younger(80s). I bring my kids here too. Our favorite chowder bowls. Will never try any other place. read more

Chowders - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Clam chowder was ok, but the service was good and quick. I brought my out of town friends here, and of course great area to walk around and explore Fisherman's Wharf. read more

Fish and chips are pretty good along with their wedge shaped fries. I felt like it was a bit pricy for the portion size but it was definitely the best fish and chips I've tried on pier 39. The batter is quite good. read more

Chowders is YUM. First of all, if you love fried, non-greasy seafood, fast and efficient service, and affordable food, Chowders is the place for you. My boyfriend and I had the white clam chowder in a bread bowl, an order of calamari and chips, and a side of popcorn shrimp. The wait for our food was 5 minutes, which is pretty fast for a lot of places... considering they have to deep fry the food. The calamari, popcorn shrimp, and chips definitely hit the spot. The white clam chowder was also good, especially since it was thick and creamy. Overall, Chowders is a great place to eat. Talking about it makes me want to go back to San Francisco just for some Calamari and chips! I'm for sure coming back! (= read more

On the chowder: Very Nice. The clams were succulent and the soup was well seasoned. The broth was flavorful and did not taste like flour. On the side of popcorn shrimp: Also very nice. Freshly fried. There was decent shrimp to breading ration (i.e. not all crunch and empty inside like LJS). The cocktail sauce looks suspiciously like ketchup with some vinegar and black pepper mixed in. I want horseradish! On the bread bowl: Disappointing. There was more bread than bowl, and not the nice fluffly inside bit. It looked like the cut the top off, scooped out not very much of the inside, then put the sliver of lid back on. And the bread was really really sour. I'm a fan of sourdough. But this sourdough was not my friend. Can I get the chowder without a bread bowl? I ended up throwing it away because it was so gross. I overheard these two people say that the (fried) seafood platter all tasted the same. They couldn't tell what was what. Good thing I didn't order that. It would have cost around $9.95. Chowder was $6.95, 5 cents cheaper than Boudins. But I feel like Boudins' would have given me better bread and more chowder. Like all asian people, I want overflow! It's not really full until it spills over the sides and the lid doesn't fit. Really, how many extra cents does half a ladle of chowder cost? I'll pay that. Especially if you keep the bread bowl. Will I go back, you ask? If they'll serve me not in a bread bowl, I may have more chowder from there. In the back, near the water, I found a decently quiet place to study (granted it was early for tourism and the weather this morning was threatening to mist) as long as I'm wearing a jacket. I just hate the bathroom situation. That and I can't help but be pessimistic that all chowder comes frozen in a bag or out of a can. Feel free to correct me. The next time I'm hurting for chowder, I'm going to have to try Boudin's. Then I'll let you know which one has my name on it. read more

their chowder is awful ... it's so watery, boring and lacking in potatoes. Why does 7 dollar clam chowder taste worse than Chunky's canned chowder? Some may disagree but clam chowder this watery is defeating the whole purpose of the world's best soup. You might as well be dining on chicken noodle if you like your soup this thin. Their bread also is awful ... it's too hard. I don't give a shit about bread in my clam chowder anyways. It's actually unwanted cuz it absorbs the good shit ....... but then again, Chowder's chowder is NOT good shit. So ABSORB ALL YOU WANT SOURDOUGH !!! read more

I ate here back in JANUARY... and I still think about the calamari. Best calamari I've ever had. Now, I'm not some tourist from the midwest who has never had fresh seafood. I live on the east coast, I'm the daughter and granddaughter of fishermen, and I love calamari. Maybe California squid is tastier than what we get over here... or maybe Chowders is just that amazing. I don't know. But try the calamari. Very tasty, great price, and a pretty decent portion. read more

The clam chowder was ok. You're in San Francisco! These people invented good food. What the hell are you doing in one of these gimmicky expensive chowder places in Fisherman's wharf? Oh, wait. That's right. I ate here too. (Hence why I wrote this review.) Well, carry on. But you've been warned. read more

What's more better than walking along the cold weather in pier 39 and getting clam chowder at Chowders! The pricing is cheap, fast, and gets you warm in a jiffy! I like the clam chowder in the bread bowl, it had good flavors plus it comes in a good amount to get you full. Always a good stop when coming to Pier 39 for clam chowder. read more

Chowders - Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California