a fisherman’s wharf tradition
FRESH SEAFOOD
On any given day, you can see the Wharf fishing boats coming in after a day’s catch. Sample all the seafood the San Francisco Bay and California coastline have to offer, from Dungeness crab to salmon to mussels and much, much more.
LOCAL ITALIAN FLAVORS
We take pride in the area’s rich culinary history. Experience the richness of classic Italian recipes cultivated in North Beach. Read the Our Story section of our website to learn more about the fascinating story of the origin of the dish Cioppino.
LONG-SERVING STAFF
One of our greatest assets is our warm and friendly staff, many of whom have been with us for over 20 years. Come in and say hello. Ask them about their story and what they love about Cioppino’s.
tHE CIOPPINO’S STORY
In Fisherman’s Wharf, many restaurants proudly bear the names of families who’ve run them for generations - a tradition rooted in the heritage of Italian fishermen who still work these waters today. Cioppino’s carries on that tradition… almost.
We’re fifth-generation native San Franciscans, proud of our city and our restaurant. The only difference? Our family name isn’t Cioppino. We considered using it, but let’s just say it didn’t exactly sparkle in lights.
So we named our restaurant after what we do best: cioppino - a rich, flavorful seafood stew born here in San Francisco in the early 1900s. Back when Fisherman’s Wharf was still Meigg’s Wharf, Italian fishermen would “chip in” whatever they had - crab, fish, herbs - into a shared pot. With an Italian accent, “chip in” became “chip-een-o,” and the name stuck.
It’s been 100 years but the Italian fishermen are still here, and so is Cioppino, our signature dish. It’s so good, we named the restaurant after it.