Cold-cracked Dungeness crab piled over iceberg lettuce, hard-boiled egg, tomato and asparagus, dressed with a tangy pink Russian-style sauce. The classic San Francisco lunchroom plate.
Crab Louie was on San Francisco menus by the early 1910s: Victor Hirtzler's 1910 St Francis Hotel cookbook gave a Crabmeat a la Louise; Clarence Edwords printed Solari's recipe in his 1914 Bohemian San Francisco. Tadich Grill, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in California (founded 1849), has served Dungeness Louie for over a century; Sam's Grill on Bush Street and Swan Oyster Depot on Polk Street still serve the canonical version with locally landed Dungeness from November through May.
3 editor picks for Crab Louie salad in San Francisco, ranked by editorial score. All San Francisco signature dishes · Crab Louie salad across every city.
Swan Oyster Depot ★ 4.7
lower-pac-heights · 1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco is a Polk Street counter that has served cold-house Dungeness, oysters and clam chowder since 1912 in 18 stools.
Tadich Grill ★ 4.3
embarcadero · 240 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tadich Grill in San Francisco is California's oldest continuously running restaurant, opened in 1849 in the Financial District, still grilling over mesquite.
Sam's Grill ★ 4.2
embarcadero · 374 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
Sam's Grill in San Francisco is the Financial District chophouse running since 1867, with sand dabs, mahogany booths and a midday lunch tradition.