PJ’s Oyster Bed

I know PJ’s have been closed for a couple of years… but… *sigh* At least I had a chance to try it before they shut down.

I am so upset that this place is closed. I read what happened on some other sites but apparently what made this place great was the staff.
For the fans… PJ’s is not coming back (so it sounds like). I’m a local & walk by very often. :o (bummer

This place is closed.
Not just closed, but seemingly abandoned. Passing by today resulted in smelling the god awful stench of rotten crab and oysters in their long forgotten cooler.
They’ve also been tagged by Sunset Salvage for being past due on their trash bill (dated 6÷5÷08), and they have a mail pile about as deep as the piles of dead flies inside the restaurant.
Not sure what happened here, it was always full, and the food was pretty decent. I do know that what they’ve inflicted on the neighborhood by leaving that shellfish to rot is nothing less than a biohazard.
Shame on you for leaving such a disgusting mess.
UPDATE: Last week (⁶⁄₂₄ or so) there was legal notices placed on the door showing a pending lawsuit from the owner of the building against PJ’s management. To the tune of $ 8.5k for several months of back rent, as well as fees, cancellation of the lease, etc. etc.
Fun.

I had dinner at PJs for the first time over the weekend. It was quite good, but not excellent. My friend had been wanting to take me there for years and we finally made it.
The meal was reasonably priced and turned out to be about $ 90 dollars total (including tip) for a dinner with 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of wine and 1 beer.
Because the of the very mixed Unilocal reviews I was a little skeptical, but I didn’t find anything terrible here. Everything was well prepared and tasted good.
To start we shared:
1) A bowl of gumbo (andouille sausage and chicken). Not as good as some homeade I’ve had, but very good.
2) Crab cakes were some of the best I’ve had in awhile.
For our entrees:
1) I had the spot prawns special (not on the regular menu). You don’t see spot prawn often on a menu because they have been an endangered species and because they MUST be fresh otherwise enzymes from the prawn’s head leak into its body and make the body mushy. The spot prawns were very good, but I was hoping the prawns would also have an intact orange roe sack (extra bonus), but they didn’t. I still enjoyed these flavorful guys.
2) My friend had his favorite entrée, the seared tuna. It was good, but I’m WAAAYYY over seared tuna (what is this the 80’s?).
For desert we shared the bananas foster. It was good, but we were too full to finish it.
My only complaint was that I had made a reservation through Open Table and had requested a birthday candle on the desert to celebrate my friend’s 35^th birthday, but they did not comply. I’ve requested birthday candles before through Open Table and those restaurants complied. I don’t know why PJ’s let this slide. Oh well.
Although I liked PJ’s quite a bit, including our server, I see this as a neighborhood spot and not necessarily a destination restaurant. If a friend suggested it, I would not protest, but it would never be a favorite for me.
A funny thing happened at the bathroom, though. I was trying to get into the bathroom and almost immediately the door opened — a man and a woman appeared out of the unisex bathroom. We all exchanged «knowing» glances and they were a little embarrassed. I laughingly said, «ooh, nasty». And they laughed. When I left, they were sitting at a table full of family-​member-​type-​people and we waved to each other. Busted.
Maybe PJ’s should now be called BJ’s?

First let me say, I like this hood, alot. It’s not prestigious, and it’s not ghetto. It’s not the Mission, where are the trendy people like to hang out, but it does have a culture of it’s own. God I’m sick of the Mission.
Anyways.
This place has damn good southern food, as well as some other specialties. Last time we came here, we had rezes but still had to wait a while for our table to be ready. Luckily we ended up shooting the shit with the owner, who offered us free wine while we waited. If you’re really lucky, you can try some alligator (if he’s gone to Louisiana to get some). The specials are usually really tasty, so I suggest trying one.
And, you won’t get any posh ass «my shit don’t stink» people who like to frequent some of the other nicer restaruants in San Francisco.

OK, I been here twice now– the first time I went too PJ’s I went earlier in the day for oyster and had a good experience although I have to say that the food last night was looking a little Red Lobster for me. Last night I had the Jambalaya and the surf and turf with crab cakes and a side of fries– I think the fries won. The service is definitely much better in the day then their night service in my opinion– due to the size of the place and number patrons they pack in at night. The restaurants has a better ambiance in the day when is less hectic.
Well if your looking for good oyster and fries Pj’s could be your place in the inner sunset.

A friend wanted to go to this place for dinner Fri. night. He hadn’t been there since he was a kid, so we tried it out.
There was some confusion when we were seated, and we did wait awhile even though we had a reservation.
We all got some free wine, and our server, (who turned out to be the owner) tried to make nice after the initial awkward situation.
The food was ok, some things better than others.
The mixed cold plate, (don’t remember what it was called) was probably the best thing i had there.
We shared it, and everyone was pretty pleased.
Everything else was ok, nothing bad, but nothing special either.
It’s an interesting place to go, and their fish seems really fresh. Also, they only serve sustainable fish. I appreciate that.
The owner/​server also offered us some free bread pudding to take home. Neither my guy or myself like bread pudding, so i had to pass. It was a nice offer anyway though.
I’d probably go back if someone else wanted to go, but i probably wouldn’t suggest it.

A solid four stars for this Cajun/​Seafood Kitchen.
I just hope you don’t go here on a Wednesday or Thursday. If you don’t like drink specials, free appetizers, free jello shots, and deals on oysters and crab legs, you definitely should not come here on a Wednesday or Thursday. In fact, I implore you not to go here on Wednesday or Thursday since I’m afraid I’ve given away a secret I shouldn’t have.
So Sam T. and I decide to forgo dinner and get a bunch of mini-​plates. When the calamari came out, I thought we should have gotten more for what we paid and when the Rockefeller oysters came, we were disappointed on how small side they were. Worst of all, I was afraid these were bad omens for the rest of the food we ordered. Thankfully, I was wrong and the rest of the meal was superb.
The crab cakes had plenty of sweet crab meat and breaded just enough to give it structure without taking away any flavor from the crab.
The pearl oysters were plump, fresh, and very tasty. They also happen to be half off. We ordered half a dozen but really should have gotten a dozen they were so good.
The crab legs were the best I’ve had in a long time. I think it was roasted in butter, garlic, and parsley. Midway through, I remember how long and difficult it can be to get all that meat out and how it’s worth it when you finally get to eat it.
The alligator tail was very tasty and tender. It tasted like chicken, and now I can say I’ve tasted alligator.
The jello shots were a nice way to end the meal. It was the first time I’ve had orange jello shots made with orange flavored vodka. That’s what I call dessert.
Funny story: they serve this Cajun mustard there, and if you look on the back of the jar, you’ll see the creator of this mustard. Take a good look at the picture than take a good look at the head chef.

A true slice of San Francisco Sunset pie.
Being born and raised in the Sunset, where there really wasn’t much to go on as a young foodie, I would have to say PJ’s really gives you a good feel about casual but solid San Francisco dining in the ‘Set.
The place is not pretentious at all. The service is great, they have a small bar, the place is clean and open and most importantly, the seafood is super fresh. There is no excuse to open an establishment in San Francisco and not have fresh seafood. Given, if you’re in Wichita Kansas and the fish tastes frozen, let it go, LET IT GO. But in SF, if you get bad seafood, make it known to others never to go there. It’s just not right.
The oysters on the half shell were tasty, but at $ 2.50+ a pop, it wasn’t worth it. They were good, but not $ 2.50 good.
The bbq oysters (3 @ $ 9) were mid-​sized, sweet, soft, and again, pretty darn fresh tasting. The bbq sauce was an overkill, but it was a nice contrast to the upcoming feast.
And when I said ‘feast’, i meant the Shellfeast Roast ($ 19.95), which was flat out one of the best skillet seafood concoctions I’ve had in a really long time. Just know that you will get your money’s worth of clams, mussels, calamari, a couple of prawns, and a couple of dungeness crab claws. Really spectacular with this garlic butter sauce that has large chopped garlic pieces. It was so good, I tossed in the white rice side.
And yes, we got upsold by the waitress for the 1lb+ Maine lobster that was fresh. At $ 22 for fresh lobster, its not THAT bad of a deal. The no nonsense, split down the middle crustacean was seasoned to perfection. The meat was not leathery or tough by any means, even when roasted. It was tender, firm, and bursting of sea flavor. Maybe i haven’t had lobster in a while or maybe it was JUST that good. It had me licking my fingers and even savoring the shell. Just a little.
Dessert sounded poor, so we opted out. I did notice as I washed my scallopy hands that they boast quite the early bird special with half off on crab and other entress between 5 — 6 PM seven days a week. That’s pretty awesome. You’ll probably see me here more often. But don’t bother me. I’m eating.

I almost missed the fact there was a restaurant here had it not been for all the people packed inside this place. It’s not an awfully big spot, and is somewhat secluded next to the pizzeria next door.
Service was friendly, greeted with smiles and pretty accurate timing as to when we’d get seated. I really despise those places that give you underestimates just so they can keep you hanging.
This place has an open kitchen, which is a love-​hate thing. I love seeing the fire and the smell of food. I hate the oily residue and wasn’t prepare for the smell it left behind. Anyway, seating at the bar and the effects are amplified. Sitting at the tables on the far side, and you’ll be just fine.
Atmosphere: The walls are decorated with paintings and other vintage-​like artwork. The seats are a bit small and just simple chairs like you’d find at a café. But the best part of this place is the music… I found it added to the casual feeling of this place. High class, but not uptight!
Food-​wise, it was a little pricey for the portions given. Not to say it wasn’t enough, but definitely aching for just a bit more. I guess that’s what you get with a seafood place though. It was fresh, so that’s at least a blessing. They have specials on selected days. 5p-​6p is happy hour 7-​days a week.
The owner, PJ actually roams around doing some serving himself. This place is great for good seafood. Expect to spend a little more than usual for the portions given though.
/​Kevin

Once upon a time… I loved this place.
Yet, the two return trips I have made to this place have been bitterly disappointing. I have not been back since.
Food was mediocre – nothing special or memorable.
Service was horrible… as the servers did not have any personality nor cared. The three times I have been here, it was busy the first time, and slow the last two times… and the service was very, very bad the final two times.
Décor = cheesy. That is all.
So, no, you don’t have my vote for this place. But eat at your own burning pockets.
Parking is a pain here.

PJ’s for sure embodies the spirt of the Big Easy — beads everywhere, actual Cajun accents coming out of the mouths of the staff, and just a notch too loud music blaring from the sound system. Being a Mardi Gras veteran (um, every year in college, thankyouverymuch. And yes, it did add to the quality of my education.), I could certainly appreciate the spirit of PJs.
As part of a company team dinner, really the best part of it all was seeing my fellow coworkers react in a variety of ways when the buckets of crawfish were brought out: excitement (moving from table to table to maximize crawfish potential), fear (no way in &^%$ am I ripping apart that little crawfish body. I mean, look at those beady black eyes!), gradual acceptance (after I finish my drink, I’ll try it out), and avoidance (um, could I get the vegetable plate?).

With Valentine’s Day just a week away you may be looking for romantic places to take your main squeeze. And PJ’s Oyster Bed is NOT the place. It’s a fun, lively atmosphere for a large group of people, but boy is this place messy!
Besides being messy this was a very educational dinner. I learned…
1) Eating crawfish is way too much work
2) I love alligator. Who knew?
3) There’s actually a beer out there that this wino likes, unfortunately, I may have had too many beers because I can’t remember the name of it.

Dinner at PJ’s was like stumbling upon a Mardi Gras party that is just about to kick into high gear… there’s an energy there that could probably be a lot of fun if you hit it on the right night. I’m not down with the whole dismembering crawfish thing, but I totally loved the po-​boys, gator bites and the salmon (apparently it’s super high end).
The drinks were potent (but didn’t taste medicinal — hurrah!), the staff and service were great to the large work party I was with and bonus: we got free beads. Thanks to PJ’s, the phrase «Party Gras» is now a part of my vocabulary.

It has been decided that no one born North of the Mason Dixon line should be expected to suck the head of a crawfish.
We had a whole spread of mudbugs before us and we all dug in and learned how to eat them properly. I’m not really a fan so I’ll withhold judgment on whether they are good or not, but the spicy corn on the cob that spilled out with everything else was ridiculously tasty.
The salmon was just ok, the alligator was not something I was down to try, and the desserts were run of the mill but of course I wolfed down enough bread pudding to make me too big to fit through the doors of the N on my way home.

Well, I hate that this is my first review, but I have to submit this.
PJ’s was really bad… I mean, I am not going back, period. Part of the blame of this bad review should go to the set menu we had with the «Dine about Town» special, but no excuse. Here’s why things were bad… I’ll try to include something positive:
— when we arrived, there was no hello, no greeting, no recognition that we were standing 18 inches from three employees. They ignored us for about 7 minutes.
— we went on a Wednesday and expected the «Big Easy Wednesdays». Well, there are only a few bar seats (all taken), and the upstairs is now closed. The website should be updated if this is no longer going on. There was nothing special about Wednesday and the atmosphere was nothing to write Unilocal about… oh wait.
— the cornbread and clam chowder was pretty good
— the appetizers were ridiculously small and overcooked. We had the mussels (4 in total) and the shrimp (6 in total). The shrimp were literally cocktail shrimp (remember I said there was 6 of them?), and you could hardly find the mussels in the shell cause they were so overcooked. Probably a little smaller than a dimes worth of meat in each shell. and shriveled.
— the crawfish presentation didn’t work. the juice was dripping off the table onto my girlfriend’s lap. once we were done with them, we decided it’d be best if she went ot the bathroom while I asked the waitress to take the rest away. well, as expected, she rolled up the newspaper and the juice started to flow out onto my girl’s seat, the table, into my beer, on the bread, etc… there was no effort to stop this from happening. The waitress didnt’ even get all the crawfish! she left a couple just sitting there on the table. Even the busboy came by to wipe things up and left them.
— the snapper was ok
here’s where it gets good…
— after we’re done with our entrees, the waitress asks us «Would you like your dessert to go?». Huh? why in god’s name would I want crème brûlée and bread pudding to go? I almost started cracking up it was funny… I asked the waitress if she wanted us out and she replied with «of course not».
— Oh wait… I forgot to mention. We had an 8:30 reservation and when I called to reserve we were told we would receive complimentary sausage appetizer since we took an off hour reservation. we mentioned this when we sat and of course got a «no problem… we give everyone the sausage now». great! Of course we never got it. And the experience was so bad we forgot until we were paying the bill and didn’t even bother to ask.
— She asked us if «we needed anything else?» and we said no thanks. She quickly agreed and said «yeah, you guys want to get out of here, right?». I don’t think we were being rude or showing her our unsatisfaction, but she knew we had a bad meal.
— correction to the one above. When she asked if we need anything else I just asked for more water. It never came… thanks. I’m still thirsty as I type this.
— We received the bill and with tax it ended up being an even $ 80 ($ 74 plus tax). I paid with a $ 100 bill. She asked me «do you need change?» and I said yes. She asked me again acting as though she didn’t hear me, and again I said yes. She took the money and returned with a crisp $ 20 bill as my change! LOL!!! Again. I’m laughing. When I need change for my $ 100 on an $ 80 bill that means you’re not getting a $ 20 tip (which is 27% of $ 74), get it? I think I left like $ 9 bucks… wish I had left less.
OK, I’m done for now. In summary, I think what happened is we had a pre-​set meal that PJ’s didn’t put ANY effort into, and our waitress was horrible.
Thanks for reading…

MY FIRST TIME…
. .. here.
But, I can guarantee it will not be my last.
Food. .. I was pleased. .. but just had a Caesar salad, shared a calamari appetizer with a friend and had a glass of wine. Everything around me looked and smelled wonderfully good. .. and, from the looks on other guesties faces, their meals were excellent too.
Service. .. absolutely nothing to complain about. Our waitress was attentive, without being intrusive. Food was served quickly and with a smile.
Ambiance. .. we were seated next to the window and it was one of those cool, wet nights. .. I never took off my jacket.. .. otherwise, it was pleasant. We could hear each other talk, which is my baseline. Lights were low and décor unobtrusive. Nothing special, just pleasant.
Summary. .. a good place to meet a new friend for dinner.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you PJ’s.
Thank you new friend.

Not a bad little place. The owner, John, is obviously very proud of his business and loves to talk about their various offerings. When I came here, he came out to tell us about their specials, which we wound up ordering.
The first item was the PJ special plate thingy. When it was pitched, it really did sound like a very light dish. So, we were surprised when it came out in a cream sauce. While it was still very tasty, I was hoping for something a little lighter. The other special ordered was their blackened red fish. Now, this was amazing. Eating the two side by side, it was like switching between red and white wine.
We had considered bringing our own bottle of wine, but after finding out that they don’t triple the price of bottles as other places do, we opt’d to order off their wine list.

Feel free to call me a celebrity because I know the P in PJs. Yep. I do.
Now feel free to take that back because he sold his share a long long time ago.
In any case before I knew P, I have always loved this place. Went here for V-​day last year and it was SOOO yummy! I am an oyster fan and this place does em right. There is always a wait (even when you make reservations) but it’s worth the wait. Lots of spicy dishes for those Cajun lovers too.

Update: The manager has emailed me twice now and offered me a free dinner. He says things are back up to par now. I’ll post a new review if/​when I return.
Original review: I ate here a while back to get 1,000 points on Opentable (I don’t do that anymore!). Anyway, my seared tuna was fishy and the «BBQ oysters» were raw oysters with a bbq sauce topping.