1200 Bridgeway, Sausalito CA 94965 (See Map Below)
Phone: 415-331-3226
Neighborhood: Caledonia St. (New Town). Website is here. Free parking in lot, but it can fill up during busy times of the year.
Insiders Tip: Just in case their lot is full, check out our special page on Parking Near Caledonia St. Without Getting a Ticket. It explains how to avoid the no-parking zones that catch some visitors by surprise.
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Salito’s Crab House & Prime Rib
Located just a few blocks north of downtown Sausalito, Salito’s Crab House and Prime Rib is in a building with a long history as a restaurant, taking over from Paradise Bay, which was begat by Margaritaville, which was begat by the infamous Zack’s. Actually, now that I think about it, the Zack’s parking lot was more infamous than Zack’s itself and a certain amount of begatting took place in that parking lot, but that was the 1960’s and 70’s and this article is about today!
In my opinion the quality of the food has improved steadily at Salito’s over the last few years, and I eat there with friends. My favorite dish will sound like a tourist-trap special, but read on for a moment. They have a crab chowder (not clam, crab) that can be served in a sourdough bowl. There are plenty of such clam dishes for tourists here in the Bay Area. but this one has key differences. The bread bowl — and the serving of crab chowder — is larger than the norm. The chowder itself is excellent and you can taste the crab. They don’t hollow out the bread bowl and discard or re-use the bread. Instead they carve out the center of the bread bowl so that the interior fluffy sourdough stays attached to the “top,” which they serve alongside the bowl of crab chowder. There’s nothing like having a great slice of sourdough to go with your soup, and that’s exactly what they give you. Finally, the price is very reasonable, especially for a generous serving.
The back deck at Salito’s has a beautiful view of the marina and, beyond it, the Bay. The staff here are warm and welcoming, and there’s lots of free parking. The restaurant was bought a few years ago by Jerry Dal Bozzo, Dante Serafina and Andrea Froncillo, who are partners in several other successful restaurants (Boboquivari’s, Calzone’s, Crab House, Franciscan Crab Restaurant, The Dead Fish, Stinking Rose). They changed the name of the place to Salito’s Crab House and Prime Rib, where they now feature (big surprise) crab and prime rib. Andrea Froncillo serves as executive chef.
Half the dining room can be opened up with sliding glass windows/doors, so on a warm summer day you’re really eating in fresh air, either inside or outside. The restaurant was reshaped into Paradise Bay in a Tommy-Bahama-style makeover about ten years ago, and the architect did a fabulous job on the exterior and retained the great openness to the Bay. That strong architecture has been maintained in the transition to Salito’s Crab House.
The theme of very fresh fish is coming through loud and clear. The clam chowder, however, was over-thickened on our first visit and pedestrian on later orders — unusual to see a basic item disappoint when dishes that are harder to prepare are made well. That said, this is a group of restaurateurs and chefs with a long track record of success, and we expect them to get the kinks worked out.
Something else that people should know about Salito’s Crab House? Ready to confess your personal sins from your days at the old Zack’s (after first consulting an attorney)? Think we’re being too crabby in our critique of the chowdah? Disagree with any of our suggestions? Please let us know!
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