San Francisco’s Hog Island Oyster Bar closing, but only for a little while
Visiting the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building is one of the best things to do in San Francisco. You sit on the back porch slurping sparkling fresh shellfish (and maybe some really good clam chowder), sipping a glass of wine while watching the ferry boats pull in and looking across the bay at Oakland and Berkeley.
Sound good? You’d better get a move on because you’ve only got a week. Hog Island is closing for renovations Jan. 16. It’s to reopen sometime this spring, perhaps as early as April.
The restaurant, one of the most popular in the city, claims to have shucked nearly 10 million oysters in the 10 years it has been open. The renovations will involve taking over the adjoining space formerly occupied by Ferry Plaza Seafood, effectively doubling capacity. Ferry Plaza Seafood is moving to a new location in North Beach, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Hog Island has been farming oysters near the town of Marshall on Tomales Bay for 30 years. In addition to selling oysters at the site, the owners also run another oyster bar at the Oxbow Public Market in the town of Napa.
Founded by John Finger and Michael Watchorn, Hog Island started on $500 and a five-acre lease. Today, the company farms 160 acres and harvests more than 3 million oysters a year, plus grows other shellfish, such as Manila clams.
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