HISTORY

Thomaso Castagnola created the very FIRST crab cocktail for the 1915 World's Fair...

He opened the first crab stand on Fisherman's Wharf in 1916, selling fresh crab to passersby. His family owned and operated the restaurant until it was sold in 1975 after playing a major role in building San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf into the famous icon and incredible destination it is today.

Andrew Lolli, a retired US Army General purchased the restaurant from the Castagnola's in 1976. He ran the restaurant as a family business until his death in 2006. It remained in the family when his stepdaughters took over.

Recent renovations and developments by his stepdaughters have transformed Castagnola's into a semiformal dining destination while preserving the traditions and character that made the restaurant world famous.

Today, Castagnola's is the oldest continuously operated restaurant on the wharf. It is a two story restaurant above the waters of the harbor with floor to ceiling windows offering exquisite views and surrounded by fishing boats.

You can see Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Bay, the historic "F" Line trolley cars, our famous fishing boats, Coit Tower and the Pyramid Building along with the downtown skyline.