American Traditional/Seafood — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour
Address: Pier 39, 2nd Level
Phone: 415-484-1282
www.eaglecafe.com
Since 1928, Eagle Cafe has been serving a hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner menu in Fisherman’s Wharf. We are famous for our breakfast items, such as house-made corned beef hash, banana pecan pancakes, Crab Benedict, and Boudin sourdough French toast with maple butter. For lunch, enjoy a killer Reuben, pastrami burger, fresh fish tacos, or some crab tater tots.
As San Francisco lore goes, in 1978 the Simmons family patriarch, Warren Simmons, helped devise a plan with Eagle Cafe’s owners, the Andreotti family, to move the restaurant from its former spot on the corner of Powell and Embarcadero. As the founder of PIER 39, Simmons had a keen interest in making sure the Eagle Cafe was part of the opening restaurant line-up and nothing was going to stop him, including red tape. The restaurant almost didn’t move anywhere as it was in a battle with the San Francisco Landmarks Board, which originally determined it had no historical or architectural merit. However, in a last-minute attempt to halt the restaurant’s move to PIER 39, the board suddenly changed its mind. Fortunately, the City Attorney vetoed the change and the infamous move went ahead.
As you might imagine, the Simmons family got a little nostalgic about the Eagle landing with us. Though Warren passed away in 2006, we know he’s smiling down on us and having a good laugh that after 40 years, his colorful connection to this restaurant has come full circle. Today, the Simmons family business is run by oldest son Scooter and grandson Ryan, not to mention a core group of employees who’ve been with us two and three decades who are like our family.
Not only is the Eagle our family’s place now, but since 1928 The Eagle’s been a welcome and frequented place by veterans and active military, as well as longshoremen who’ve worked the San Francisco waterfront when it was primarily used for shipping. We are grateful for those who came before us and those who fought for our great country. Our restaurant decoration and historical artifacts are a tribute, and in some cases a gift, from these very important guests.