Woodhouse Fish Co. (San Francisco, CA)

Woodhouse Fish Co.
1914 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
Dining date: 12/27/13

Known for its fresh seafood, Woodhouse Fish Co. has been a long-time popular option in San Francisco. Two locations exist, in the Castro and in Pacific Heights; I’ve passed by the Pacific Heights location numerous times to see some good-sized crowds waiting for a table at the walk-in-only restaurant. Sometimes you just want to scarf down some fried seafood and a lobster roll, right? I knew that Woodhouse Fish Co. would come in handy exactly for that craving. Coincidentally, it happened on my last evening in San Francisco during this recent holiday trip.

The menu is pretty simple and straightforward, resembling a New England seafood shack mixed with California influences. Three types of clam chowder, fried clams, crabcakes, crab and lobster rolls, fish & chips, fish tacos and cioppino are some of the options. Prices are reasonable, particularly for San Francisco standards. Getting there around 5:45, our wait for a table of four on this Friday evening was about 45 minutes.

Clam Chowder New England

Had to try the chowder here on this cold SF night. Pretty rich and creamy but not too thick, I found this comforting with a good number of pieces of sweet clams. My dad wished there were a little more, though.

Crab Cakes crab meat cakes topped with spicy chipotle sauce & a side salad

The crab cakes showed off a nice crispy exterior and a decent crab flavor. However, I would’ve preferred the filling to be a little less dense.

Fried Whole-Belly Ipswich Clams

I really enjoyed this large basket of goodness. The clams were sweet – loved the textures between the crunchy exterior and tender, almost juicy bellies.

Bay Shrimp & Avocado Roll

My brother opted for this as a ‘main’ course. Not being a huge seafood person, he did finish every bite of this one.

Dungeness Crab Melt

Always the crab fan, my dad ordered this sandwich. I found the celery and herbs to get in the way of the crab flavor a little, overshadowing the sweet meat. Still, the melted cheese mixed in for some decent bites.

Split-Top Maine Lobster Roll warm with butter

The lobster roll here is served either cold with mayo or warm with butter; I pretty much opt for the latter anywhere. There was plenty of tasty lobster on the soft toasted roll…I gobbled this up so fast. If I had to mention one drawback, it’s that I wish there was a little more restraint on the butter.

Local Petrale Sole mashed potatoes, carrots

My mom went for one of the daily specials and the kitchen brought out this spruced up plate. The fish was cooked well with a nice sear and juicy interior; the potatoes and carrots were pretty typical. Simple but tasty.

The food at Woodhouse Fish Co. was simple as expected, though that made small flaws in the food stand out. I felt the food was lacking some attention to detail; on the whole, it was still satisfying especially during a seafood craving.