Sam's Grill and Seafood Restaurant

Sam's Grill and Seafood Restaurant Sam's Grill, Tavern & patio - serving fresh fish and classic San Francisco dishes since 1867! Continuously voted "The Bay Areas Top 100 Restaurants."
~ S.F. B.
(512)

Chronicle

Sam’s Grill, the fifth-oldest restaurant in the country, opened in 1867 as an oyster saloon in San Francisco’s California Market, an open-air food emporium that stood where the Bank of America building now towers. 1867 was just 18 years after the Gold Rush transformed San Francisco from somnolent village to city, two years after Lee surrendered at Appomattox, two years before the first transcontinental railroad connected the coasts. The California Market, Evelyn Wells wrote in her 1939 Champagne Days in San Francisco, was “a great bazaar under a single roof, housing fish stands, vegetable and dairy stands, beer counters and restaurants.”
Sam’s was founded by Michael Bolan Moraghan, a native of Ireland, who called it simply “M. Moraghan’s.” Doris Muscatine wrote of Sam’s in her sweeping Old San Francisco, published in 1975: “In the early days its most popular dishes were breaded turtle steak and green turtle soup, and the proprietors continued to import live deep-sea turtles well into the 1930s.”
Moraghan was an oysterman and seafood purveyor. Along with John S. Morgan’s Morgan Oyster Company, the Moraghan Oyster Company raised oysters in southern San Francisco Bay on beds that sprawled across an area the size of San Francisco. By 1900, though Moraghan’s and Morgan’s men fought ceaselessly with oyster pirates like the young Jack London, these oyster beds were producing 2.5 million pounds of oyster meat a year. The oyster industry in the Bay is gone now, a victim not of pirates but at first of pollution, then of garroting government regulation. Sam Zenovich, who owned the Reception Café at Sutter and Webb (now Spring) Streets, bought Moraghan’s restaurant in 1922. The Reception was an establishment of some repute, a hangout of ring and race fans such as former heavyweight boxing champions John L. Sullivan, James J. Corbett, and Jack Dempsey. Reception regulars (save Sullivan, who died in 1918) followed Zenovich to his new establishment, which he renamed “Samuel Zenovich Restaurant.” Everyone but Zenovich called it “Sam’s.”
Frank Seput bought Sam’s when Zenovich died in 1937. Seput changed its name to a breezy “Sam’s Grill and Seafood Restaurant.” Sam’s moved to 374 Bush Street in 1946. Seput took sons Walter and Frank Jr.as partners; grandson Gary Seput became sole owner in 1994. Phil Lyons bought Sam’s in 2005, and nine years later sold to a group that is headed by Peter Quartaroli., who has been part of the Sam’s family since 1994. Sam’s still serves petrale, rex sole and sand dabs, and oysters now from Drake’s and Tomales Bays. The only turtle it serves, though, is the mock variety.
--John Briscoe

09/24/2026

From the specials menu, and it really is special. Squid ink pasta with shrimp, mussels, calamari with a fresh tomato garlic white wine sauce 🤌🤌🤌

What's Lance's favorite way to root for the home team you ask? With a glass of wine at the Tavern, of course! Lance, our...
09/24/2026

What's Lance's favorite way to root for the home team you ask? With a glass of wine at the Tavern, of course! Lance, our wine director extraordinaire has curated a list of nearly 20 wines by the glass (and bottle) for you to enjoy ⚾️🍷

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

The dish that transports us to France - steamed salt spring mussels with garlic, white wine, crème fraiche, and served w...
09/21/2026

The dish that transports us to France - steamed salt spring mussels with garlic, white wine, crème fraiche, and served with French fries. Glass of champange or white wine highly encouraged!

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

09/18/2026

Nothing like a classic chicken pot pie fresh out of the oven to warm you up on a cool San Francisco night ❤️

Peter's pro tip: Join us Saturdays for Sam's Supper Club, our 3-course prix-fixe featuring soup/salad starter, fresh fis...
09/17/2026

Peter's pro tip: Join us Saturdays for Sam's Supper Club, our 3-course prix-fixe featuring soup/salad starter, fresh fish special, and decadent chocolate pudding for dessert.

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

Our Green Goddess salad. Fresh local veg, wild caught grilled salmon, and that classic San Francisco dressing, invented ...
09/14/2026

Our Green Goddess salad. Fresh local veg, wild caught grilled salmon, and that classic San Francisco dressing, invented at the Palace Hotel.

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

09/11/2026

So we had quite a few *opinions* about our cioppino last time we posted it…here’s Peter clearing things up in case you were curious why we do things the way we do (and have since the 1800s) 😉

This is the dessert served at Sam's Saturday supper club, btw. If you needed one more reason to make a res, here it is. ...
09/10/2026

This is the dessert served at Sam's Saturday supper club, btw. If you needed one more reason to make a res, here it is.

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

Our preferred way of watching the play (sorry Oracle park, we still love you). And we hear football season is starting ...
09/07/2026

Our preferred way of watching the play (sorry Oracle park, we still love you). And we hear football season is starting up again…you know where to find the best watch party in the city.

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

09/04/2026

A drink in the Atrium after work is just what the doctor ordered. Says us, we’re the doctor.

Can't decide what you'd like from the fresh fish section of our menu? How about the mixhed shellfish with prawns and sca...
09/03/2026

Can't decide what you'd like from the fresh fish section of our menu? How about the mixhed shellfish with prawns and scallops - the best of both worlds 🥂

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

The great thing about our booths is that we can adjust the walls to fit a party of any size. Reach out if you have a big...
08/31/2026

The great thing about our booths is that we can adjust the walls to fit a party of any size. Reach out if you have a big one - it's never too early to get those holiday parties on the books…

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

08/27/2026

Especially when shared with friends & family in a booth here at Sam’s.

Consider this your friendly reminder that we serve the best bread in SF (thanks to ), no meal is complete without it. h...
08/27/2026

Consider this your friendly reminder that we serve the best bread in SF (thanks to ), no meal is complete without it.

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

Prawn cocktail is certainly competing with the martini for most ordered cocktail on the meny! It's no secret we all love...
08/24/2026

Prawn cocktail is certainly competing with the martini for most ordered cocktail on the meny! It's no secret we all love a classic 😋

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

Dinner party without the cleanup! See you Saturday for Sam's Supper Club. Bring your friends, we'll provide the classic ...
08/20/2026

Dinner party without the cleanup! See you Saturday for Sam's Supper Club. Bring your friends, we'll provide the classic San Francisco dishes and the cocktails (always) 🍸

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

The nod of approval from Lance is tough to earn, but it means only the best food and wine pairings for you. We highly re...
08/17/2026

The nod of approval from Lance is tough to earn, but it means only the best food and wine pairings for you. We highly recommend our steamed salt spring mussels with Domaine Vocoret Chablis. Bon app!

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

08/14/2026

Scallops for summer with a glass of Fiano - you heard it here first.

Highly recommend a night at Sam's Saturday Supper Club (complete with chocolate pudding) in your future. The sooner the ...
08/13/2026

Highly recommend a night at Sam's Saturday Supper Club (complete with chocolate pudding) in your future. The sooner the better!

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

Sam's Tavern the Pete way (aka the best way 😉) with your favorite beer in a chilled glass and a bowl of Chili, trust.ht...
08/10/2026

Sam's Tavern the Pete way (aka the best way 😉) with your favorite beer in a chilled glass and a bowl of Chili, trust.

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

08/06/2026

Life is good when you’ve got a breakfast sandwich (try adding potatoes on top), a cappuccino, and an espresso martini on the way. Breakfast is served here at the Tavern: 9:30am–2:30pm weekdays, 10am–2:30pm weekends.

Address

374 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA
94104

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 9pm
Tuesday 11am - 9pm
Wednesday 11am - 9pm
Thursday 11am - 9pm
Friday 11am - 9pm

Telephone

+1 415-421-0594

Website

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