Thanh Long Reviews

Looked forward to coming here since I had eaten at Crustacean years before. Martini was good. The famous noodles were a HUGE disappointment!!! Lukewarm, dry and tasteless. The garlic crab was just ok. Expensive bill for sub par food.

Found this restaurant through Facebook and decided to invite a few friends since they were not familiar with the establishment. Parking was a bit difficult and had to drive around multiple blocks. I started off with a Tanqueray and tonic which was perfectly made by the bartender. We started the course with the Calamari, lightly breaded and fried, extremely flavorful and tender, followed with the main course Crab, noodles and house special fried rice. The crab was perfectly cooked with flavors I could not describe, noodles was tasty but a bit over cooked for me as I like my noodles aldente, friend rice was perfectly done, and complimented with prawns, spring onions, eggs it was delish. The hype about the crab is definitely worth experiencing the flavors. Service was on par, buss boy continued to replenish our water, you are provided a bib with plenty of napkins, and a warm towel at the end to clean your hands. Try it, you’ll love it! I’ll be back in a few weeks to try the drunken crab.

This restaurant was suggested by the Ocean Park Motel. Parking was a little tight but we found a spot a couple blocks away near the ocean. The staff was friendly and the decor was nice. We had the mussels for an appetizer, unbelievable! Biggest mussels I've ever seen, broiled with Asian pesto (whatever that is) I had the spicy eggplant with chicken and prawns and my son had spicy ginger calamari. Both were excellent and not overly spicy. We had enough left over for lunch the next day. Will definitely be back.

Anytime I am in my hometown of San Francisco, a trip to Thanh Long (the owners of Crustacean's) is a MUST!!!! The drunken dungeness crab and garlic noodles are what I ALWAYS order. The tiger prawns are delicious too. And I always order hot herbal tea, which is delicious as well. Excellent service, friendly staff, awesome vibes and EXCELLENT food! If you're in San Francisco and want seafood, go to Thanh Long!

Overpriced $240 / 2 people Crabs NOT FRESH! Secret Spice = camoflage Noodles - Mush Demographic - Loud Hostile Gang Territory Decor - outdated Not authentic Vietnamese What was once a jewel of San Francisco started by a hardworking genteel family has literally been taken over by a threatening drug / gangster element. It's an utter disgrace!

Everyone orders the roast crab and garlic noodles. It’s good but way too much oil. It’s swimming in oil. I would try other dishes on the menu if I went again. The mango salad was excellent. The calamari was also very good. Service is super fast, probably because everyone orders the same thing. It’s noisy.

Got the roasted crabs even though I'm not a huge crab person due to the amount of work needed for the meat obtained. Crab was delicious and was one of the best I've ever had. Good black peppery and garlic taste with melted butter to boot. How can that not be good? A bit expensive though so not for the bleak in wallet. Garlic noodles are highly touted but I did not find them especially great. Good and enjoyable but not a mind altering experience. Service was too notch. Make sure to make reservations. Don't need to dress super nice or anything. Very casual atmosphere.

This restaurant is one of my favorites. When I come to San Francisco it is on my agenda. It has maintained its quality and ambiance. It is hidden in the beach district and is always busy. Reservations recommended. My favorite is the Garlic Crab with garlic noodles. The crab comes in more than one flavor but garlic is my favorite. Finish it off with a lemon or orange sherbet in the fruit. The prices are moderate but worth it. I won't go on to describe the food other reviews have done this. The staff is polite and helpful. Enjoy

I've reviewed Thanh Longs before, but the baked crabs are so very very good. Make sure you rub the lumps of crab in the pepper sauce. There is plenty of sauce so throw those spicy noodles in it too. Oh so good! Try a few "Saigon" beers with the crabs, Oh better yet, paradise. Congratulations, from an east coast Maryland blue crab lover. Maybe a little pricy, but well worth it.

Yes, it is expensive, but the roasted crab and garlic noodles are wonderful. We tried a prawn appetizer, but I didn't care for it as they left the shells on before dipping in tempura batter and frying - not a fan of shrimp shells, but they were tasty otherwise. Service was excellent. We've come here for years, whenever we are in town and can get a reservation. Parking is a challenge, but they do offer valet service for $12....we got lucky with a street spot just down the block.

Thanh Long is almost an institution in San Francisco. People who go there are not only Asians, but a good cross section of peoples from different countries. The stories of line ups for more than 3 decades still continues. Although table service is very good, reception service needs more beefing up, starting with a gentleman who appears to be in command (maybe the owner or relative?) -- he was quite curt. The lady at reception, though, was really nice. The roasted crab with garlic noodles is the all time favourite. Very good! The crab was absolutely fresh. One tiny crack, peel, and tug of the shell, and all the meat inside the crab leg came off easily in one piece. That is a sure sign of freshness. Some say the garlic noodles are mushy, but please know that Asians generally do not have their noodles "al dente". In fact, Asians generally do not like "al dente" noodles. However, they do like their Italian pasta to be "al dente". The experience is well worth the very early or the very late reservations available, and the long wait for those without reservations.

I absolutely love the roasted garlic crab here. If you want a really good garlic roasted crab this is the place to be hands down the best in the bay and I have tried many places that claim to fame but none is worthy. They serve their roasted crab drenched in butter, garlic and pepper so delicious!!!. I live in the East Bay and will drive over 40 miles just to get the roasted crab when I'm craving crab especially during the crab season. The are the original creators of the roasted crab not Crustation.

So I drove out here to spend a day at the beach and was told to come by here from someone local. Not going to lie it kinda looked like a whole in the wall at the time but the food was so good. I got the crab with the garlic sauce and the garlic noodles. OMG amazing. I have been back 3 times and everytime its just as good. I promise these will be the best garlic noodles you have ever had.

Friend in town recommended our group to try the roasted crab and the garlic noodles. Little to say it was fabolous and we returned twice more during our stay. Must try!!

A group of 10 ate last night at Thanh Long. We had a appetizer of Calamari and a beef veggie dish. Then we had garlic crab and garlic noodles, fried rice and plain rice. Now this is the best garlic crab I have ever had. Lots of garlic and butter surrounds the huge dungeoness crab . We brought out own sour dough bread to sop up the wonderful juices as they do not serve any bread(their only downfall). The garlic noodles are to die for with just the right amount of garlic. Fried rice was also excellent. We spent only $108 for the two of us(each couple paid for their own meal) and that included a nice tip. What a wonderful restaurant and YES, we will go back.

Good food but pricey. Garlic noodle is a bit on the oily side. Good for gathering. Not too romantic. Parking could be a problem.

This is a great Vietnamese restaurant that seems to be famous for two things - the roasted Dungeness crabs and the garlic noodles they serve. We had both and though the noodles were more like spaghetti and a little cold, the crab was amazing. I surprised myself by how adept I soon became with the crab-crackers and using a piece of claw to hook out meat from the smaller cavities, Staff very friendly and a busy atmosphere. We loved it but if you're on a budget try somewhere else - the crabs are sold by weight and they are huge...and therefore pricey

We were redirected to this restaurant by our Uber driver. He told us we would not be disappointed; we were so glad we let him re-direct us! I split the roasted crab & garlic noodles with my daughter, I can't remember what my husband & other daughter ordered but they enjoyed their meal as well. Highly recommend.

1. Always make reservation 2. Come early to find parking space & walk a distance 3. Try garlic noodle & garlic bread....hmmm 4. Everybody order crab.... 5. Service is excellent . 6. A bit pricey but worth the taste & good service.

Without question the best meal we had in 3 weeks in California. Other reviews sum it up perfectly - crab and garlic noodles outstanding, mixed vegetables similar. Decor not outstanding, but that doesn't matter. Located very close to the end of the N muni, but an easy (and interesting) journey from the main hotel area ie Powell, and well worth it if crab is your thing.

We went here for our anniversary dinner. The wait staff was some of the best I have ever experienced. The food was very good although a bit pricey (although standard for San Francisco). Would recommend this establishment for a special meal.

I hadn't eaten at Thanh Long's in over 15 years. I used to frequent TL because they had THE best garlic noodles and garlic roasted crab. I decided to go back and I was very disappointed. The garlic noodles were not as tasty as I recall and they were served cold. The Shaken (mystery meat) Beef was off in texture and taste, too! I have never seen the grain of beef that looked and tasted quite like this before. I will not go back. The crab is still on point, but that's not enough for me to go back.

We went here for a family dinner on a Sunday afternoon ( with reservation). Really loved their crabs ( we ordered roast crab and drunken crab). These crabs have very unique flavor and very delicious. Their coconut prawn is pretty good as well. It is a bit pricy here , each crab is $59 and they add 18% gratuity on top. Service is outstanding though and well worth the required tip. If you haven’t tried this place yet, I would recommend it.

This restaurant came highly recommended by friends who had previously visited. It was a good distance from SF central (15/20m from Lombard Street) costing $20 each way. The food was nice. We didn’t order the signature dish (crab - whole) because having observed other diners 1) it looked very messy; and 2) it cost $57 per crab; and 3) not a lot of crab for the price or hassle. Bit of a gimmick, highly overrated, and lots of other great local street food Vietnamese restaurants more central, offering good food. Probably wouldn’t revisit.

Got tips about this place in an elevator in Sacramento! It was a bit remote but well worth the detour! Super tasty, reasonable prices and great service!

I was warned that it was delicious... AND IT WAS! I AM A FAN!! I was told to go here while visiting in San Francisco and I was not disappointed. Whole Crab, garlic noodles, calamari and a FULL BELLY! Pricey but good!

Words and enough to express how very delicious the world famous Thanh Long roast crab satisfies. I can say with firm conviction that the roast crabs at Thanh Long are the best tasting crabs on the planet. Folks come from all over the USA, Asia, South America, Europe to savor this one of a kind delicacy. Be warned...once you've tried it you'll be addicted and crave to return. Don't wait! Go! Be sure to make a reservation as Thanh Long is always busy. Tel 415.665.1146

It was daring to go on Mother's Day night, but that's when our trip to San Francisco was so we followed directions and made reservations in advance for our time of choice. Our Uber driver indicated it was quite a drive from the hotel and we arrived at the modest but original of the House of An restaurants where Vietnamese-type fusion began decades ago. People were waiting but we were seated promptly by the manager in an upstairs area--the place was packed. Everyone seemed to be having the famous roasted Dungeness crab, so we ordered the signature dish and a side of the famous garlic noodles along with Saigon beers. Service was efficient and quick with the food arriving piping hot with plenty of check-backs. If you've been to the sister "Crustacean" restaurants in San Francisco and Beverly Hills be advised this is much more humble in ambiance, but completely delicious. The lines of guests waiting and imitators of these famous dishes are a testament to how good it is! Like to try the giant prawns with garlic noodles next time...

The crab and the garlic noodles are so delicious, and the shaken beef " Bo luc lac" is made of filet mignon that it melts in your mouth. This is the original restaurant until they open their sister restaurant the crustaceans. The parking is hard to find and its off the west of San Francisco, but it's worth it to drive there.

The Vietnamese owners are well known in the culinary world, and have other restaurants, including one in Los Angeles. Valet parking. Great crabs of course; that's what you go for. But also a very tasty pasta dish.

Has been my favorite of the And for years due to the casual upscale environment. First time in 20+years of terrible service from server ALISHA. TIP FOR THE DAY: Smile, be polite, serve those who are seated first, then get over yourself. You work in a wonderful place, act like you come to work to work and provide excellent service like the food is.

Whenever I visit SF I must have the Roast Garlic Crab at Thanh Long located on Jude and Hyde near the Golden Gate Bridge Park. The Dungeness crab is cooked and served to perfection. Finger licking delight! Also must have the garlic noodles but not much else as the crab is the "piece de resistance". Reservations are required and valet parking is available. This is definitely a repeat performance venue! Enjoy!

This is definitely one of the best places for crab! We heard so much about Thanh Long that we just had to make the trip from Union Square to Judah Street (which took us an hour by metro and foot). No regrets at all! Like most people, we ordered the roasted crab and garlic noodle. They were awesome!!!

This restaurant specializes in roast crab and bit of other seafood. Although it sounds like a Vietnamese restaurant, do not go in expecting a pho. It does not exist here. The roast crabs are as big as the plate they came in. They are utterly delicious in the butter, salt and pepper sauce they came in. Eat them with a bit of Thanh Long chili sauce and lemon and you re good to go. We also ordered the calamari which is as good and the garlic noodle which i thought was just okay. The serving size is about a crab per person and then some. Make sure you come before 7pm for dinner otherwise the place will be packed and you ll have to wait the long queue.

When you walk in you will see everyone wearing bibs during crab season. This is what you come here for and nothing else. We tried the sea bass and also ordered the 'obligatory' garlic noodles but basically you are paying $12 for overcooked, too soft cheap noodles drowned in garlic infused oil. I don't understand why people are raving about it. Service is fast (probably too fast) and the crab we ordered arrived in less than 5 minutes, cooked. Which means because of the high volume they have a lot already waiting and cooked and just need a warm up. Not sure how I feel about that, but the crab was tasty and satisfying. Skip everything else so if you are hungry just order 2 crabs cooked in 2 different sauces instead.

We heard raving reviews about this restaurant. We Were visiting family that lives in San Francisco. We live in Dallas, TX. Upon arriving we were unable to find parking so we were forces. To pay the $12.00 Valet price ouch! Upon walking in we had reservations booked but still waited a little while. We ordered 3 garlic noodles and the infamous garlic crab. The dishes were tasty but not anything that we'd ever have to have again. This place is totally astronomical for the just average food. Glad I experienced it however my hubby and I will gladly eat at Fisherman's wharf on our next trip and be far more satisfied..

Used to go here way back when it was a hole in the wall and I believe $9.99... We still go and roasted crabs are still the best! Lychee Martinis 🍸 while waiting for our table...yummm

Ask for the special home crab prepared with garlic en black pepper and a few secret spices more. Best ever!Not cheap but worth it!

We've been to both Thanh Long and Crustacean (their other restaurant serving the same food). Both are pretty equal, although I seemed to like Crustacean better, if only because that was my first time tasting their crabs and noodles! (First love and all! LOL) The crabs here are pretty decent - unless you are a big eater, one crab for 2 pax, we left pretty satisfied and satiated. Especially with the garlic noodles on top of it! The others have described how good the crab and noodles are and I agree - pretty good and exceptionally well done. That said, I would argue that while the food is exceptionally good, the value may not be as good as some "cheaper" restaurants where they serve really good crabs/seafood - for example, their "low end" competitor at some Vietnamese restaurants serve cajun styled seafood that to me, is different, but more to my liking! Not to say this place is bad or anything like that, worth a try for the first time to make up your mind - but be prepared to shell out some bucks and not be crabby about it - lol! One thing to note at this Judah site - parking is a challenge, there is a valet in front - they advertise $13 but that is a lot that is 10-15 mins away, and if you want them to park in front, it's $20/-. Kind of a bait and switch approach. Crab-trap anyone?

Dinner with four friends on Friday evening, 2/12/16: restaurant had been recommended by one of our parties' friend. Waiting for our table at the bar, the bartender said, "try the Dungeness crab and garlic noodles." The crab was ordered by two in our group. It was large and weighed a lot, out of which, after a lot of work, the diners coaxed about three ounces of crab meat. Their comments were that the taste was OK, but too much work. Also, they cost $55 each. I tried the noodles and giant prawns. Four medium sized butterflied shrimp over the mushy, virtually tasteless noodles. The shrimp were nothing special and the noodles were awful. To the restaurant's credit, everybody was nice and the service was good. On the whole, all five in my party gave the food a roaring thumbs down. How this place got a good reputation is a mystery to us. While waiting at the valet for our car ($12 extra) a street fight between two groups of very angry young folks took place and scared the bejesus out of everybody.

we ended there by accident and ended being the best food experience during our whole 3 week trip. Citrix fish, and of course the garlic nooddles from out of this world. If you are in the Golden Gate area try to make it to this cozy restaurant!

Seen this restaurant on one of the food channels, and decided to go have a taste for myself. And i can honestly say it was great, if your into seafood (crab) then this place is it, though it might be a little pricey but it's worth it to me. Been there a few times after seeing it on TV. If you're in town, it's a definite spot to check out and experience. The ambiance of the place is also a great vibe. A must.

So I came here to celebrate my 15 years service anniversary from my job, and boy was I in for a treat! You must order the garlic noodles and the garlic crab! If this place wasn't so far from where I lived, I would be here once a week!

If you love crab, you must dine at Thanh Long. Although I like to explore new dishes when I dine out, I always order the roasted crab at Thanh Long. It's simply the best crab ever. Whatever seasonings they cook the crab with, it makes the food that much tastier. The garlic noodles and garlic bread are excellent as well. I will continue to make the occasional trip there for the roasted crab. It is simply the best!

We visited with family and were delighted! We had their specialty, roasted crab, and you will fantasize about it long after your visit. It is incredible! We also had their garlic noodles and the best veggies I have ever eaten! You will not be disappointed!

Thanh Long is a Vietnamese restaurant off the beaten path in San Francisco. Their business card says, "World-famous Roast Crab since 1971." Not an exaggeration. The menu has many other items on it, but if you are coming to Thanh Long, you ARE coming for crab and maybe something else, but you are coming for the crab. If not, find somewhere else to go for your Vietnamese cuisine. There are plenty of excellent ones here besides Thanh Long, but none offer better crab. NONE. For a side dish I would recommend the garlic noodles and mixed vegetables to complete your meal. You won't be disappointed. Be sure to get directions as it is in a residential neighborhood. Parking is the biggest challenge here, although they offer valet parking.

Enjoyed another super roasted crab and garlic noodles meal at this always packed restaurant! We make it a point to come here every time we visit our family. Reservations are a MUST! Parking on the local residential streets is difficult so you may want to consider using their valet parking! You will pay market price for the crabs but it's worth every penny! You should also be prepared to get messy (bibs are provided) to fully savor and enjoy the roasted crab. You will want to devour every tasty piece of crab you can crack and extract from the claws to the main body. Absolutely great tasting! We'll be back!

As other reviewers have noted, the special home crab with garlic is a winner. Legs already came detached and very large. A bit expensive but a meal to remember. Wait staff was incredibly helpful.

I had heard much about this famed eatery and just had to visit even if it meant driving all the way from Walnut Creek into San Francisco. This restaurant was begun by Vietnamese refugees in the 70s. From humble beginnings it has grown into a multi-million catering business as I understand it. My experience is they have not lost any of the flavours that have endeared them to a legion of fans ! Their roast crab was simple but rich in taste. I paired this dish with their garlic noodles to complete the meal. Try mixing the crab meat with the noodles. It’s a combination to die for. This place is a must visit if only for their crab offerings. Service was very polite and prompt. They deserve all the accolades heaped on them through the years !!! Keep it up !!!

It used to very good. It’s still very crowded, but the food is not as good. The garlic noodle is downsized and it’s definitely not as good. The roasted crab was ok, as was the service. Very loud crowd.

Keep this place a secret. With it being crab season my daughter and I decided to give this place a shot. She lives only three blocks away. She had the Roasted Crab and I had the butterflied Prawns placed on a bed of garlic pasta. We also had their chef's rice. All I can say is Wow! Everything was excellent. The key was the chef's secret spices. They "amped up" your taste buds to a new level. The crab melted in your mouth, the pasta had just the right amount of garlic and the mixed rice was "fluffy". This is a well run restaurant in every aspect. A must try!

I eat here every time I'm in SF. It is literally the best crab I've ever had. The decor isn't the best and it definitely smells like garlic and crab. But OMG it's like heaven.

Went there and had tiger prawns (4) with garlic noodles for $40! Vietnamese salad was also average. The best part was the lava chocolate cake dessert with jasmine tea. Service was okay. Future order would be another salad and just garlic noodles by themselves. Would have been cheaper that way.

Thanh Long is the awesome place to have a good date night dinner and to visit San Francisco area. Service was excellent, and friendly staffs. Food was outstanding everything in their menu 👍👍👍 👍 We had a great time for our first time visiting. Much order Roasted crab & garlic noodles are the best of San Francisco!!!!

The restaurant is a ways in from 19th, (on corner of Judah and 46th Street), toward the Pacific, however, the restaurant's menu is a winner! Never disappoints my taste buds!

My first visit and hopefully not my last. The roasted crab and catch with citrus are amazing! The service is great. I can't wait to go again.

We've been eating here since the early 90's. Still great for roasted crab and garlic noodles. Service was very prompt and friendly - both with our drinks and food arriving as well as the table service - taking away bowls full of crab shells. We didn't need to use the valet parking service but it sure is nice to have it as the neighborhood streets can get pretty parked out. Sure do wish they served lunch!!!

Came here on the recommendation of a contractor working on our house. So glad we found this place, a little pricey but well worth it. If you don't like crab, try the shaken beef or Saigon beef with garlic noodles, you wont be disappointed. Great bar and wine list...typically packed and noisy, for a reason. Very popular.

Great atomsphere for friends, family or solo., The Seabass is really great, flakey I recommend that you come with a hearthy appetite

The restaurant is legendary and we'll known with the locals! Kinda hidden gem cause very casual from the outside. Book in advance as its really popular. Roasted crab and garlic noodles are to die for! Good with local beer. Crabs are market price and were $50 this August. Notice service charges are included at max, service is very very nice though if you want to add more.

Restaurant is located west side of San Francisco. Looks in the quiet house area. When I see the name of Restaurant, looks Vietnamese food restaurant. This is very busy restaurant. I prefer to make reservation before you go. Actually sea food restaurant with Vietnam style. They have Saigon beer. Also Mango salad which is popular in Vietnam. Dangeness crab is very big. Taste is very good. I prefer to order just steamed type. There are another two types of roasted type. But these are the taste of sauce. Since crab is very fresh and tasty, prefer steam one. We order noodle. That was too much boiled. Not good at all.

We read about the restaurant and since we stayed in The Sunset area, we thought we should try the famous crab. It was really good, especially the baked one. The also famous garlic noodles were disappointing though (and clearly over priced with 11 USD). The crab was roughly $50 each, which was more than what we expected (the menue only says "market price"). I would recommend sharing 2 crabs for 3 people, they are big. There are also other options on the menue, but all tables around us had the crab. The restaurant is crowded, not posh but has style. The service was good. Parking nearby is not easy, but possible.

If you are in San Francisco, this is a restaurant you should NOT miss....all the items in the menu are delicious. The best: the king crabs!

While very expensive is a must do event. The Roast Crab is almost more than any one person can eat and delicious. Served with Garlic Noodles it is a meal that cannot be duplicated. Well worth the wait and money. It is recommended to make reservations or the wait may just be too long Be aware that our meal for 4 came to $307.00...and actually not too bad for what we had to eat as well as sharing a bottle of wine.

I am not a big crab person but our order of Dungeness crab with garlic noodles, shaken beef, tiger prawns, calamari was so delicious. Everything was so tasty and perfectly cooked. The restaurant was crowded but we were accommodated in 15 min on a weekend. Service was pleasant too. There's a valet service because the restaurant is in a residential area of San Francisco . Definitely a must try even for non sea food people. Come earlier to get a table.

Neighbors told us to stick to garlic crab and garlic noodles. Followed directions and left extremely full and satisfied. Waited less than 15 minutes for a table and was taken care of immediately. All staff was wonderful as well. Visited from Miami and will surely be back on my next visit to SF!

My husband and I love going here, the crab and garlic noodles are amazing!!!! Pretty pricey but that's why we only go every few months. If we're in the mood for crab, I'll make some and I've finally perfected my imitation of thanh long's crab but I tell you, there's nothing like the food here. If only I could put an emoji to describe how great it is.

Been hearing the buzz about this restaurant. Asked friends in SF where it is and what to order. All of them are unanimous on what to get - the roasted crab and garlic noodles (house specialties). We were fore-warned though that wait time can take hours on end that's why we were advised to book at least a day before. That we did and I'm glad we did cause when we went there, even with a reservation, we waited for 45 mins.! Imagine if you had none! Didn't even go through the menu. We went right for the house specialty. The crabs were humongous! And the noodles is plateful load good for 2 people if you're not a voracious diner. The roasted crab was seasoned w/lots of pepper, butter, some garlic I believe. How they cook it to be that good, no idea. Crab eas 'weighty' & had lots of meat in them. Take the meat and dip it in that glorious pepper, butter, garlic mixture & ur in crab heaven! The noodles have no sauce in it but very tasty. I couldn't even see the garlic. It doesn't have a strong garlic flavor but what I tasted was the 'fat' u get from the crab. Could be that when they cook it, they mix in some of the crab 'fat' which makes it soooo good! The restaurant location is kind'a odd. It is surrounded and beside by what looks like residential 'buildings'. Parking is, as always, hard to find (remember, you're in San Fran). It was free though cause we were there past 6pm. The place has a small first floor but the 2nd floor is bigger & seats more. The place is always packed. For 4 crabs and 2 plateful of garlic noodles, my tab ran to $209 (that doesn't include tip)! I was told the crabs weren't in season hence it's hefty price. If in season, they said a crab may only cost about $25-30 or so. Anyway, the taste is worth it though!

Some of us have eaten here years before and some of us had it for the first time. The five of us ordered the roast crab dinner, garlic noodles, and seasonal vegetable sauté. A non-crab friend ordered a red snapper dish. The crab dinner and garlic noodles were definitely savored. The garlic noodle that came with the fish dish tasted best and the friend wished he had ordered just the garlic noodles. The vegetable sauté, which was also served as part of the fish dish, was left to be desired. Service was decent and parking was too expensive. If you love crab and have never been there, do order the roast crab dinner and garlic noodles!

Super busy place and we got there 25 minutes late but they immediately showed us to our table. Quick service, very polite and knowledgeable. Awesome crab and the garlic noodles was the bomb! Definitely would go there again and again and again!!!

We've been home two weeks and I am still craving the garlic noodles. Best prawns I have had in a long time. The rest of our group enjoyed their food too. Yes, it is a little pricey but the food is worth it.

We loved the crab in tamarind. Garlic noodles too. Place is well know to the locals. Limited Street parking, but they offer valet parking. Highly recommended.

Great great great MEAL!!!!! From start to finish the service and food were awesome. We saw the restaurant on the travel channel and couldn’t wait to taste the garlic noodles. Vacationing from New Jersey this was one of the first dinner reservations we made. We started with the mango salad and the Vietnamese salad. Both were flavorful and fresh. We shared entrees between the 8 of us. The favorite was the garlic noodles. They were extremely garlicky with a slight bite. We also had the lemongrass chicken which was full of flavor and slightly spicy. The red snapper was perfect and the fried rice with chicken was moist and delicious. For dessert we shared the creme brûlée cheesecake, fried banana and orange sorbet which tasted like a delicious creamsicle. The service was as great as the food. Our server was attentive and efficient, paying attention to detail. We would highly recommend this restaurant and wish we could bring the garlic noodles to the east coast.

Best roasted crab and garlic noodles, everything I have tried on the menu has been delicious! You can come dressed casual. My only negative is the women's bathroom needs to be remodeled. Its dark, there is always water always on the counter.

Having lived in the City for a long time I have heard many people talk about Thanh Long with almost lusty reverence. We took the plunge with a group of us. I certainly did not experience lust or even joy but just barely nice. I must say I did not think the price was nearly worth it. A crab, mushy overcooked garlic noodles and 2 drinks for well over $100 per person was very surprising. Yes, the crab is good but we had to wait for over 20 minutes to get drinks and then another 20 minutes to get another one and there were all kinds of servers just standing around. For as bad as the spaghetti noodles were they should have been free, not $11. The over-priced martinis were watery at best. I have experienced Thanh and I do not ever have to go back.

The crab was small, over priced and previously frozen. Overall a major rip off and disappointment. Nothing like Betty Lous, Sottomare or Anchor.

The best Vietnamese seafood in the USA - Thanh Long I first visited in 1997 - since then they expanded into the back and the upstairs of the building - and the An family built the Crustacean restaurants. On about 7 visits I have loved the place. Being in the outer Sunset near the Pacific it is a bit of a trek from downtown but not too far from the Haight. Valet parking or taking the trolley both work to get there. Garlic roasted crab being the specialty is the way to go.

A friend introduced me to the this bustling, family-owned restaurant whose walls are lined with many framed, photographs displaying the history of the An family sand the restaurant established More than 40 years ago by the matriarch of the An family. The garlic noodles that we ordered were somewhat disappointing as they tasted over cooked. The rest of the meal was satisfactory.

Have heard about this restaurant for years and finally went. It was okay. Big crab, tasty noodles, but that was about it, all else average.

I have been eating at this landmark restaurant since 1989 famous for its roasted crab and garlic noodles. Their empire has grown to include the famed Crustaceans located in Beverly Hills among other places. There is something to be said about food being simple and fresh and clean. The place is always crowded so be ready to wait even with reservations. Maybe I can eat at their Beverly Hills place but there is nostalgia when I go back home, at Judah.

What else can I say that anyone hasn't said already? This place is famous for a reason. Dungeness Crabs and Garlic Noodles! Try it! You won't be disappointed.

Love eating in this restaurant whenever I visit San Francisco. It has been at least a couple of years since my last visit. The Crab and garlic noodles were still delicious but the appetizer dishes were below par and not worth what I paid. I'd just stick to the specialty dishes. However I must admit the prices are getting more expensive for the crabs. They list the price as Market Price but $50 plus per crab is really over priced.

This spot's signature dish of roasted Dungeness crabs are the best in the city. The garlic noodles and, calamari and tiger prawns are also very popular. Service is efficient. Expect to get your hands dirty whilst you dig into the crabs.

If you like fine dining and don't mind eating with your hands then this is the place for you. Their specialities include roasted crab and garlic noodles. Yes, expensive but worth the price. Outstanding service and valet parking available.

We are on holiday in SFO and our daughter invited us to go to Thanh Long to eat drunken crab and roast crab. They are huge and the taste is very good. The place is somewhat expensive but in combination with their good noodles it is acceptable. The quality is good and the service also. Advice: make a reservation as it is rather busy ,

This little GEM out in the Sunset district, right of the N Judah line is AMAZING! The best CRAB in the world! Get the Garlic Noodles and you will have everything you need. The SHAKEN BEEF is a must have as well. You will leave feeling very satidfied and delighted that you went!

The best Crab dinner EVER!!! the garlic whole crab was amazing, we ordered one large crab for the two of us along with the garlic noodles and 4 BBQ shrimp, we finished the entire meal. I don't really like working for my food but it was worth it for every morsel of crab extracted. Best meal I have had in a while.

We had the roasted garlic crab, cubed beef, calamari appetizer, garlic noodles and coconut shrimp. We also had a few of the mixed drinks and a sapphire and tonic. Crab was excellent, especially the flavor. It was $53 though for a 2 lb crab. The beef was especially good, crispy on outside and tender on the inside. Calamari was good, but I wish the serving size was a little larger. I thought the garlic noodles were ok although the wife enjoyed it more than me. Coconut shrimp was good but you only get 5. I was disappointed with the mixed drinks. Flavor of the drinks felt like they didn't go together just right. Sapphire and tonic was good though. Service was excellent throughout.

Roast crab - gf liked it. She said it had good flavor, however she claims it wasn't as fresh as she would have liked. The garlic butter was really good. Royal tiger prawns - I thought it was okay. Came on a full order sized bed of garlic noodles. Prawns (4) were grilled nicely. Garlic noodles - we ordered this because I did not know the tiger prawns came with a full sized order of noodles. Noodles were amazing as usual. A bit sweeter than I would have liked. Spicy eggplant - I liked it. However, also a bit sweeter than I would have preferred. Street parking. People were just double parked outside on the side streets. We came on a saturday night and it was extremely loud. Groups of diners were still being seated 5 minutes before closing. Service was fine, nothing special. Overall, we thought pretty good, but a bit overpriced.

This Garlic pepper baked 2.5 lb crab was first boil in flavor water then baked right before serving. The flavorful garlic and pepper made the crab irresistible. The Buddha roll is stir fried bamboo shu, tree mushroom with fried tofu wrap with rice paper. You can eat them without the sauce. The roll itself is extremely flavored. The traditional Vietnamese salad is shredded cabbage, carrots with fish sauce topped with shrimp and chicken. Overall, excellent find in San Francisco!

Took my wife there for the first time, although I’ve been there before. I always choose their signature roasted peppered crab, egg plant and garlic noodles. A bit pricey, but worth it when you come from a state where fresh seafood is nonexistent. At $59/crab, you better savor every nook and cranny of the crab and know how to do so! My bill for 2 was roughly $200 before tip, but with a nice bottle of wine. My advice.... bring your own wine for an appropriate pairing and pay the corkage fee. Very good customer service. Stop complaining about the parking. Valet is cheap compared to parking in downtown SF.

The food was amazing! There was a little bit of a wait but I understand why.... the food is worth waiting for! Must try the garlic noodles and Dungeness crab! Friendly staff, great food and family made the night perfect!

Ok I was craving crab so bad so I decided to try this place. It has a rather good overall quality in both ambiance and food. Service is alright but no major issues. But the crab was simply spectacular!! Especially with that butter and salt.

Their signature "Garlic Roasted Crab" and "Garlic Noodle" dishes are TO DIE FOR. Other dishes are good but it's hard to get past the crab and noodles. I fly to SF 2 - 3 times a year just to eat at this Vietnamese fusion mecca. Its' corporate counterpart is known to most as Crustaceans, entrepreneurly located in the city and in Beverly Hills. While both are environmentally and atmospherically more pleasing, I do believe the food just plain tastes better at the original family hole in the wall. Each tiime I take a newbie for crab they always end up saying, "Wow, usually I don't eat crab because it's too much work. BUT THIS IS so worth it!!!"

A last minute desire for Vietnamese food took us toward the Sunset district where this restaurant is located. Quick service and we order three different dishes for the both of us. We enjoyed the Mango Salad very much and my partner was then delighted by the steamed Sea Bass with lemon grass and ginger sauce while I satisfied my appetite on the Villager favorite. That last dish was very good but quite salty. We decided to taste a fruit cocktail dessert and that is when everything fell apart. Fresh mango and supposedly strawberries were blended with ice, some of it not even crushed fully, that watered down the fruits to a tasteless frozen drink in which we never could find the Rum that was supposed to provide a nice blend. We would still recommend this restaurant for its Vietnamese dishes but stay away from the cocktails or the dessert cocktails. The bar tender needs a serious lesson from a real professional. We left 75% of that drink on the table. In summary, a very good dinner despite the above and the very noisy surroundings

Honestly, come here on special occasion. It is expensive but really good. The crab is garlicy, buttery and perfect seasoned with black pepper. Garlic noodle is a must. Mussel is average, imo. Asparagus soup is okay. Vietnam salad, unless you like shreded green cabbage, this is not for you. Remember to drink warm tea after eating oily food. Great service, clean bathroom. As for Parking: come early at 4.45pm, finding parking can be tough around this neighborhood. Or you can do Valet Service for $12.50 in advance.

A sure MUST when in SFO. Satisfying my crab craving since I first ate here in 2000. Simply spiced by black pepper and salt. Roasted and buttered. Worldwide, always approximated but never imitated. 👊🏼

We moved away from SF in 2000 but still come back just to enjoy the amazing Ahn family roasted garlic crab, noodles, and service. This was the first time we brought our sons (12-9-6) and they loved everything! Next time we will have to order more!

Absolutely the best crab I ever had and I'm from east coast blue crab country. Make sure you wash your hands before eating, because you will be licking your fingers to taste the pepper/butter sauce from them. Roasted Crab and don't forget the garlic noodles with chili sauce. It's my required stop every time I'm in San Francisco. Try a Saigon beer or a Hanoi mixed drink.

We have eaten here before and at their other restaurants. We weren’t disappointed, haven’t been to this location in ten years and everything was very good. We had garlic noodles, Dungeness crab, and Steak. Also had some starters and Mango Salad. The quality of their food and service never changes. They treated us very well even though we were late to reservation and they were preparing to close for the night. They took very good care of us and I hope we can make it back here again.

If your wondering if it is worth it to eat at this restaurant all I can tell you is that it depends. Depends on what? Relative to your location in the city is a consideration. If you are more than 30 minutes away and don't have a car not so sure. The cab/Uber cost, to and from your location across town can cost you equal to or more than your meal. If you are able to access the restaurant without any concerns about spending money on transportation then go for it. It is a nice and delicious experience. Recommend sharing whole crab (market value was $55 for one last week) with another and getting a few side dishes to share. This will give you a nice variety and stretch your dollar.

We came for the garlic noodles and were not disappointed in how good they were. We also order the mixed vegetables to go with the noodles. Small restaurant in the Sunset area. The seafood served to other diners looked very good.

A treat to experience their crabs and other sea foods. Good food and great service. My only surprise was the check. I forgot to ask “market price” before we all ordered. It’s all good but also expensive.

This place Thang Long is known for dungeness crab and garlic noodle. But the last time we dined there, we were served with crab that was still frozen inside. It was a horrible experience. I will not recommend this place to anyone again.

Nice crab with the most famous garlic noodle - 50 dollars for the crab with garlic noodle which was more than enough for two people

This is not my first time at Thanh Long, not even my first 5 times at Thanh Long and I am not a local. But I figured I should pay them back for my lovely meals with a review. A friend had recommended Thanh Long years ago and if you're not a local it's probably the only way you'll know of it as it's kind of off the beaten path off Judah and 41st, sort of close to Golden Gate Park. I normally am very adventurous when I dine out but here, I'm a one meal kind of gal. It's all about the roast crab and garlic noodles. Take off your jewelry, done the bib and dig in. The roast crab is buttery, garlicky heaven and the garlic noodles are a unique salty, almost sweet parmesan noodle. (Google Thanh Long garlic noodles, there is almost a cultish obsession with trying to mimic the recipe, which I have done as well but not quite succeeded). That being said, the prawns, are great and they have a reasonable wine list and lovely desert offering - not that you'll be hungry after the monster crab. The only hair splitting complaint I have is that their service can range from terrific to almost neglectful. I travel for work taking clients out for dinners all over the country and Thanh Long remains in my top 5 faves.

You can search the plant all you want folks but take it from me, you'll not find a more delicious perfectly roasted Dungeness crab anywhere else. Thanh Long at 4101 Judah St at the bottom on the Sunset district of San Francisco is a world renowned mecca for roast crab lovers from all parts of the world. Yes, the crabs are a bit pricey at $48.95/ea however, complimented with a plate of $10.95 garlic noodles and a pot of Oolong tea you'll walk way with a full tummy and big smile on you're face.

This place is a MUST if you like seafood. I've taken so many people here and all have loved this place!

A visit to Thanh Long provided the exclamation point on a pleasant Saturday excursion to a number of sites within nearby Golden Gate Park and a sunset drive along Ocean Beach. When I lived in a small fishing village in MA for several years, I always looked forward to the price drop in lobster that came after Labor Day, and the opportunity it created to eat lobster two or three times a week. Perhaps because of this, I have always been fonder of lobster than crab. The preparation of baked crab at Thanh Long may force me to rethink this. It certainly has closed the gap between my fondness for crab versus for lobster. We arrived at the restaurant at about 5:30, and although there was already a throng waiting for tables, we were lucky and got seated immediately. If I had not already read some reviews of Thanh Long that pointed you in the direction of the crab, a quick look around the dining room would have had a similar effect. The couple sitting next to us, regular customers it seemed, was eating the baked crab, and the aroma was wonderful. As you sat back and looked at other tables, and later when walking through the restaurant, one thing that really stood out was the number of people there with bibs on happily working their way through the crab. I would say that two out of every three customers were eating crab. That has to tell you something. Our dinner consisted of an order of the traditional Vietnamese salad, a large mound of mainly finely shredded cabbage, with halved cooked shrimp, shredded chicken, a sprinkling of crushed peanut, and a dressing that contained fish sauce. It was a fine start to the meal, but I would not go back to Thanh Long for this salad, and I would probably try a different starter the next time I go. As I said, it was fine, but nothing really stood out in this dish as being exceptional. Both of us ordered crab, and we shared an order of the garlic noodles. When I order garlic noodles, I do so because I really like garlic. Some other restaurants that I used to go to transitioned to thicker noodles for their garlic noodles and this diluted the garlic effect. At Thanh Long this dish had a strong but now overpowering garlic flavor to it, with a nice blend of garlic, olive oil, butter, sugar, and something that provided saltiness. The dish is best eaten when it arrives at your table and is still hot, and this turns out to be a real problem because once you start in on the crab you forget about everything else on the table. Normally when I eat dinner I run out of wine before I have finished the main course. Here, the opposite was true. Once you take a first bite of the crab, it is hard to think about anything else. The servings of crab are quite large. In some restaurants, when you order a “whole crab” you get very little if any of the body meat, which presumably the restaurant puts to other uses. Here you actually do get the whole crab. In fact, if we had opted for a second starter, two orders of crab could very well have been too much (if it is indeed possible to have too much crab). Garlic, salt, cracked black pepper, butter, olive oil, a pleasant bit of heat beyond the black pepper suggesting finely ground red chili pepper flakes or some source of capsaicin, and some more elusive, but delightful flavors that will force me to go there again and continue my “research”. Absolutely delicious. Service was very professional. Water and wine glasses were refilled just about when they emptied. Bowls of shells were removed and new bowls were provided as needed. Plenty of napkins were provided for those who like to get up close and personal with the crab and extract every last morsel. Warmed moistened washcloths came as you have reached the end of your meal so that local felines wouldn’t be following you down the street to your car. Let me add a few closing comments that I hope are helpful. Unless you plan on coming early, you should probably make a reservation. We got lucky, but by 6 PM through to the time we left the restaurant, every last table was filled, and there was a line at the door. Granted this was a Saturday night, but if were to go back, I would reserve in advance. If you drive, finding parking is not easy, but they do offer valet parking. The corkage on wines is $15, and although there were some nice wines on their list, I might be tempted to bring my own the next time I go there. Some regulars who were recognized by the staff were bringing their own wine. Other regulars were ordering additional crab to take home with them. The serving of crab that you get is very generous. It is at “market price”. In our case, for two orders, the crab alone was close to $100. Add in a starter, the noodles, and a $50 bottle of wine, and you quickly get to a $185 tab before tip. Will I go back? Yes. Do I think it is worth the flavor experience? Yes. Will I also try to figure out how to cook a version of this at home? You bet! That way I will be able to enjoy this more often.

I rate it 5 out of 5 this has good food,gets your food within 10 minutes,nice employees,the chairs here are very comfortable and nice air conditioning,warn basically room temperature in here,gives towels and gives your something that can keep you very clean and a lap towel to wipe yourself and also keep your legs clean.They also have nice deserts. They are very clean and have wiped down clean tables,every time You finish half of your water they refill it. And they give you one towels to clean your hands, and you have your own waitress that helps you with everything you need which is kind,Have really nice appetizers and if I had a choice of choosing one through 10 I would choose 100 through which doesn’t make sense but it is such a great restaurant and it’s even my first time here and I already love it!There desserts are so pretty and good tasting and I wanna come here every single dinner now.😋😋😋

This is the birth place of the famous garlic crabs and garlic noodles that we can find at Crustacean restaurant in beverly hills or san Francisco. I was not so amazed with the food because i found it so much better at the crustacean restaurants than at this original restaurant. Therefore i find it average.

been coming for years; the crabs were still as tasty as ever, and I don't normally eat them as I can't stand getting my hands and fingers all greasy then holding the utensils after; price has since gone up, now at >$50 each. We had reservations but arrived early, we were seated quickly enough. Parking: valet charges$12 and $20; the premium price gets you to park within a stone's throw.

I thought about the huge Dungeness crabs on the west coast and was told this place was outstanding for them and I was very intrigued on trying this place. We do not have these on the east coast and I love crab any type - WELL- Maybe once is was, but wow so bad now. For the first few moments I was a bit excited about the best crabs that one could eat. You are a bit taken by the extremely pretty Vietnamese waitress and the beautiful needle point framed pictures adorn the walls just begins the lie behind this place that awaits you. I went for lunch but they were closed so went back for dinner with my wife. I am a professional chef by trade and this was the worst of the most expensive dinners we ever had. I saw the review on door Zagat said that the food was mundane, but the roasted crab was unforgettable. Well, they were right on both accounts, however, I will never forget the crab for another reason...... The crab was mushy and the taste was not even distinguishable from the amount of bottled garlic that the crab was basted in. The over cooked just warm mushy noodles was covered with the same bottled garlic oil . I asked if the crab was fresh the waitress said yes . The man sitting next to me said he lived 2 blocks away for 4 years and the FROZEN crab truck unloaded there weekly. So there was the reason for the no flavor and mushy texture . My wife had the prawns over the same noodles these were dry and very hard to pull as we had to tear them from the shells and the flesh just ripped and shredded. Just terrible, again no flavor but bottled garlic . The bill with no drinks, not appetizers and no dessert, just water, for the two dinners came to 106.00! With out a doubt the worst dinner ever not to mention the worst seafood in San Francisco. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would be hard pressed to give them a 3. I should have stayed in the Farmers Market and not went to this place what a mistake. Parking too is a nightmare as well. Even with the 4 mints I had on the way back to my hotel that I took on my way out could not get the taste of garlic out of my mouth and I like garlic. The next morning I went for coffee and when I came back to the room I had to leave the windows open from the stink of it still. I eat out a lot have cooked professionally for years graduated the Culinary and all I can say again, is this one will win the award for the worst dinner, with the highest price. So glad we asked the guy next to us if the appetizers were good, they had two the coconut shrimp and crab balls, I think he said. He said no, so we just decided to order just dinner or the bill would have been a lot more. Wish we just left then, but I wanted the crab I was told was the best. Lastly when I went to the bathroom that was dirty I looked in the kitchen the place says its Vietnamese but all the cooks I saw were of Mexican decent. Chef Vic

If the end of the world is coming, I have decided all I need for the apocalypse is an order of Drunken crab ( swimming in garlic, chives, scallions, and Chardonnay) and garlic noodles. I love this dish. It complete with the bib and hot towel after to clean up. I have visited Thanh Long for many years. This was my first time being seated in the dining room upstairs, I didn't know there was an upstairs. This restaurant has a larger seating capacity than I thought. It can get extremely busy. I suggest you make a reservation well in advance. In full disclosure, I have eaten hear and not had the crab. I had a few other food items this visit. I had the asparagus soup and crab puffs as appetizers. I also enjoyed a few cocktails this visit the : Ohio Punch and the Fleur de Mango. I know I will be back before the year is over.

Get the dungeness crab roastic in garlic, this is superb. The salty and peppery flavor has that perfect balance that you want to wipe and dip the crabmeat for every bite. You need to reserve though and cannot just walk in. Very accessible, ride on Judah street, just take N Judah Ocean cable car and get off at 46th. It is right actoss 7 ELEVEN.

I said about a year ago, after watching the TV show Best Thing I Ever Ate, next time I'm in SF I'm going there! I don't do bucket list, I do life list, cause tomorrow not promised!!!!! this year, I was invited to Oakland for Thanksgiving, a year later, and said I had wanted to go, but how would I get all those sister to go with all that food being cooked, and them having so many dam opinions. If it's not good they will talk about me until I died!! When there I was on my phone, looking for the name and place, I was afraid it was going to not be as good as a year prior. Got them drunk, order a LYFT and took them. OMG it was excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just wonderful!!!!!!!!!! the drinks perfect, the food above the best, best I've had in years!!!!!!!!!! and I eat and travel regularly!!!! the sides, new, different, and delicious.

I have been to Thanh Long over the years and the crab is really a treat. However, we decided to have other options on this most recent visit. I'll start with the Shaking Beef. It wasn't as tender as I would have expected, but more surprising was the fact that they added cubes of potatoes. Anyone who is familiar with Vietnamese food would be appalled at the idea of potatoes being added to Shaking Beef. The portion itself was a decent size and the overall flavor was good. The garlic noodles were quite tasty and well prepared. The other items that we had were the shrimp toast and the dungeness crab puffs. Each of these items were ok, but the portion seemed small in my opinion. Obviously, this is subjective and not the worst, but I do think that considering the final cost of the bill, I was somewhat disappointed overall. While I do think it is worthwhile, if you're not going for the crab, you may find it a little underwhelming.

A bit out of the way and in an area that may look a bit sketchy but well worth the trip. Great food. Excellent wait staff. Lively. Busy. And fun. Roasted crab a real treat!!

I’m not a huge seafood fan and usually have to be in the mood for it. However, I’m sure glad I was when we found it randomly. We had no idea it’s world renowned restaurant for roasted indigenous crab. Absolutely spectacular, and justifies the high price. Don’t pass other crab puffs and plum wine pairs perfectly! Last but not lest, the derived is just as world class. Highly recommend gem hidden in the streets of the Outer Sunset District in downtown San Francisco.

This very popular eatery remains good for crab lovers. Its starter of calamari & soft shell crab were excellent, but shrimp toast wasn't, esp. at $11.25. The garlic noodle was plain & ordinary, way overpriced at $9.95. The signature dish of roasted crab was good, but nothing special compared to others & bit overpriced at $44 apiece. Service was efficient, but too busy serving too many tables. Room was packed up to 9pm. Again spoilt by success!

You would not think much of this place without a fancy entrance and in a quite neighborhood near Ocean Beach. Wide choice of dishes and at least five different ways of cooking fresh crab. Went with a large group with one person who had been here several times ordering for the table. One crab should be enough to serve two people. Be sure the get the garlic noodles and a vegetable dish to go with your meat dish. Good selection of drinks, wine and desserts. You will not walk away from this place hungry.

We ordered based on recommendation - crab with garlic noodles - and as per every other review, they were AMAZING. It's not a fancy restaurant but it's worth going just for the crab and noodles. Absolutely divine.

After having had the Garlic Crab at Crustacean in Downtown San Francisco.... I was told that the "family" also owns the Thanh Long Restaurant on the west side of town and serves similar food....in a more "locals enviroment". Come to find out this was the orginal restaurant and Crustacean is their up scale restaurant group. The Garlic Crab was just as good as downtown and the prices were less not to mention the parking better. The atmosphere is more "Chinese Restaurant" looking with lots of locals, but the service and the food was five star. This is well worth the drive or taxi ride.

Roasted crabs and garlic noodles and calamari are my favorites and they are still as delicious as first time I had tried 2 years ago. The service is also very good. May be next time I would try something different. I patronized the one on Polk Street. Perhaps I should try their first branch on Judah Street.

This is our second time here. The crabs are just as delicious as the first time. They were meaty and easy to crack. We got the roasted and drunken crabs. The roasted flavor is my favorite. The garlic noodles are good. Overall, definitely a place to try.

My husband introduced me to this restaurant about 10 years ago and now we go every time we are in the Bay Area. The crab, garlic noodles and the shrimp are amazing!!! The only thing you need to make sure to do is check the hours of operation and make a reservation. This restaurant is busy all the time. Parking is limited but they offer valet parking for a fee. You will not regret this dinner! I can’t wait until we go again.

I go there to beat my craving for the best garlic noodles in the world! And they cook amazing roasted crabs as well. The service is very attentive. It is a place to take family and close friends.Parking is almost impossible, but there is a paid valet parking.

We are a group of managers and we have reached this restaurant without information only a lady on the beach suggeasted. I need to recognize that it's fantastic the roast crab with special spice was incredibly good. The ratio quality price is adequate for fresh crab the cost is about 40-50 $

My wife and I first ate here in 1990 and we come back almost every time we are in San Francisco. As far as I'm concerned, the crab and garlic noodles remain true to form just the way I remember it in 1990. The roast crab and garlic noodles always satisfy us. Granted, I can see that some people are not impressed by the noodles......they are a little soft......but that's Thanh Long's noodles!! I've never had a bad crab (except when I worked at the STD clinic......HAHAHA.....just joking!!!) at Thanh Long. Lots of meat and great flavor. Despite the cost, I feel satisfied.

We have been here thru the years. The first time was amazing. The last time was not. Overpriced and not really worth it overall. We also ordered the combination seafood fried rice and all the seafood was rubbery and not appetizing. And to top it all off, our server not so great.

We have been going to this gem for 15 years. In a hole in wall location....everything comes alive once you walk inside. Fantastic house infused vodka martini's, best crab in the city and garlic noodles to die for. Can't say enough about this place.

Omigoodness....don't waste your time ordering anything on the menu except the garlic pepper roasted crab and the garlic noodles. Both are to DIE for and should not be missed. This is crab at it's finest! That said, ALL the food is good...it's just the crab and noodles are incredible. The people around us were all ordering various items off the menu and everyone was "mmmmming". Don't try to walk in. Call ahead and make a reservation. The line will be out the door at 5pm, and will continue all night.

I had dinner at this restaurant and all the food was very great, we order their famous roasted crab and garlic noodle. Price quite well for such faboulus food!

Went on a recommendation from a friend that is an SF local. Best crabs I've ever had! I've actually never had whole crab only legs so I was a little intimidated. By the end of the meal I thought I'd end up licking the shell! My husband and I ordered a roasted crab, garlic noodles and the crab puffs all to share. It was more than enough food for the two of us. Staff was great and on top of everything even though they were crazy busy! Get there early and finish with one of their Vietnamese coffees (hubby had one of the alcoholic coffees). Delicious!

I have already reviewed Thanh Long in 2013 and I come back on a regular basis. Unlike so many places that I have given rave reviews to but have thereafter disappointed, victims of their own success, Thanh Long has been consistently delicious over the years. We ordered my favorites: baked crab, seafood dumplings, garlic noodles, shaken beef.....and everything was perfect. The room was cheerful, the crowd could not be more authentic and unpretentious, people look like they are seriously enjoying their food and the restaurant, and our waiter Francisco was absolutely wonderful: very helpful, professional and with a sincere smile which made us feel welcome. Thanh Long you are the best!

What a disappointment! At the recommendation of my sister who lives on Austin, I went in anticipation of having a spot on Dungeness crab dinner. This out of the way nondescript restaurant was filling up quickly at 7PM. Unfortunately, the customers didn't know they were getting screwed by paying top notch prices for "fresh frozen" crab. The quality is sooo far inferior to fresh killed crab. It's masked or should I say sitting in loads of untasty vegetable oil. Rather than having the snowy white flaky meat, it was grayish and not even close. The crabs were large and way overpriced ($59). The 'crispy' vegetable rolls were crispy, heavy and a waste of calories, money and stomach space. To add insult to injury parking is $14 and if you don't want to wait an extended amount of time for retrieval you can pay $20 and the car will be waiting close by. A side dish recommended by our waiter was garlic noodles. It was passable. There is no comparison to 'live' Dungeness! Needless to say I will not be returning and don't recommend this place.

I like their crab and garlic noodles. However, as good as they taste, they do not justify the price. It's nice to go once in a long while. Definitely not a place I would frequent.

Fortunately last evening we showed up early and Thanh Long did not have much of a waiting line then. It was spilling outside when we left however. We were seated within 10 min which was great. Minutes later our garlic noodles and roasted crab appeared on the table. A great dish to share, what was the most surprising is the spectacular flavors that delighted our palate. There is nothing of the annoying garlic taste in the garlic noodle. It is an explosion of flavors and the crab was cooked to perfection. Service was impeccable as well and rendered by a well trained staff. This was one of the best meals we had and the reputation of this small family restaurant is very well deserved.

The crab was expensive but worth every penny as it was delectable! Service was excellent and the food outstanding!

Over $98 for 3 courses, no wonder they don’t post prices on menu. Pricier than Slanted Door & not as good

Most of the reviews you are reading here are true. Yep, Thanh Long's garlic noodle with tiger prawn or the crab can never go wrong. The taste was amazing and it maybe one of the yummiest dinners I've ever had. The portion was big so you might wanna share the dishes.

Bangin' crab. We wanted the best and we got the best. 4 of us had a hard time completely finishing the monster example we were served. Drinks were strong and the atmosphere hoppin'. There is a reason why this place has existed for over 50 years. Make the trip.

Go to Thanh Long for the Garlic Dungeness Crabs. They are very good and very expensive at $80 per crab. We enjoyed the food very much but, would consider alternate options the next time we want to eat Dungeness Crabs.

Had a wonderful dinner with the family and we each enjoyed a baked crab smothered with garlic and butter, garlic noodles, sautéed beans, and Vietnamese spring rolls. It was definitely worth the long wait.

Didn't get crab at market price. Coconut prawn bit dry and dipping sauce vinegerette. Satay chicken was two skewers with simple salad. Chicken overcooked a bit. Curry prawn all right, thin sauce. Noodles had nice taste. Full bar. Street parking limited.

Most plates are very good but their are a lot of people so you have to wait! Price are not cheap but it is ok!

Food ok. Service was very very poor from the waiter. He didn't even come to check if we got all of our food or give us hot towels after our meal. The bus person was the only person we saw until we asked for the bill and even that took him a long time to bring.

The roasted dungeness crab is amazing as well as their garlic noodles. This place was recommended to me by a friend and it exceeded expectations. The food comes fast too. They have their own valet service but it is expensive at $13 bucks flat rate. This is a must-eat place while in San Francisco.

Accept that you are going to pay 50 dollars for a crab, that this is good for two hungry people along with an order of garlic noodles. Nobody cooks those two things better. We were 3 adults and 2 toddlers, and my daughter was complaining that I could not peel crab for her fast enough. And she enjoyed the noodles too. Our favorite was the tamarind crab. The drunken crab was good too, but the sauce of the first was so good that we even took the remainder of our crab-less serving plate home. I made it into a pasta sauce a few days later, but... it was not quite as good as the garlic noodles. Got to work on that. We also ordered the ginger squid, which was forgettable. But the quality of the crab and the noodles overpowered the disappointment of that dish. Oh, the place is noisy. The first time I went there with my two year old son, he hated it because he was overstimulated. Six months later his twin sister loved it though, but she's less sensitive than he.

Food is delicious, the sitting space is very crowded and the tables seem to be to close but the food is A+.

This is our first time to this place and was blown away. Their roasted dungeness crab is super delicious, their garlic noodle is definitely one of the best in town.

1st time here. Parking is unspeakable. Valet is in the street. Restaurant was a little out dated and very crowded. Tables are so close together it's like your sitting on top of one another. Upstairs you can see where people have spilled food in the carpets and different food splashes on the walls. They rush you through the service. It was hard to enjoy the food. However the food was excellent. Roasted Crab, Garlic Noodles, and Prawns were amazing. I will return; just a suggestion to possible update the restaurant, change carpet and wipe down the walls. Slow down on rushing a person through ordering and dinning experience.

No need to say anything else. Order the Garlic Crusted Crab along with the Garlic Noodles... then just shut up and eat. My wife and I had the best crab dish ever. Crab shells were flying, mouths were slurping & fingers were being licked. If you like, top this off with the deep fried bananas ala mode. We went there right after a Giants game. The N Line from AT&T Park took us to almost directly in front of Thanh Long. Long ride but worth it... and cheaper than Crustacean Restaurant.

3 of us went with 'the standard'... so 3 Crab and 2 Noodles with 5 beers. Tally at the end before tip was near 300.00. Was it good? yeah it was but the noodles were just noodles. Now, my frugality aside, we had reservations but they were seating without so we were sat right away. The service was attentive and spot on and the place was quite nice. Yes, I would recommend Thanh Long

The garlic noodle and the spiced roasted dungenese crab were awesome..I would recommend to make a reservation beforehand. Probably easier to take an uber although the restaurant has a valet service. Must try if you visit San Francisco.

Impressive interior decor, and outstanding service. They specialize in crabs, and they are not inexpensive ($48 for a whole one). The garlic roasted crab was somewhat dry but good, the tamarind crab was excellent. The traditional salad was outstanding, as were the appetizers, mussels and salt and pepper calamari. Next time, we'll try other seafood than crabs, which is less expensive. The wait staff was really very attentive and prompt, and they have an excellent bar that knows how to make a real dry martini.

I cleaned my plate! My friend and I took an uber from our hotel, it was well worth the trip. The garlic noodles were everything I hope they would be. It's shocking that such great food comes from this little hole in the wall restaurant.

we have been to Crustecean in San Francisco and Los Angeles,i found that in Thanh Long the noodle garlic taste not that strong taste as the other restaurants. of course price at Thanh Long is slightly cheaper

Went with friends and let them order because they are regulars. They ordered 3 appetizers and then the whole roasted crabs with garlic noodles. So Good!! I would have never ordered them because I'm a huge Vietnamese food fan so I would have just looked for one of my usual items but I am so glad that we let them order. Service was great and very attentive. Go if you have the opportunity!

We read a few good reviews about this restaurant and decided to check it out. It is locate in the quiet neighborhood of Sunset, just few blocks from the beach. Although the places specialty are crabs, we decided to go for several appetizers as they sounded so good. We were not disappointed! The appetizers are really big portions.. The soft crab was crispy and tasty. The best was the Asian Bouillabasse Soup - by far the best soup I ever had. a festival of flavors in this great combination of vegetables and spices. we were jealous of folks eating crabs and will try them a next time. They are huge! Corteous staff. Arrive early as this is a very busy place. Convenient valet parking.

Now my second visit to this SF institution. Out of the way, almost to the beach but perfect after a day at the Zoo. It's obligatory that you order the Crab but be prepared to pay $50. Went with my adult sons and we had plenty. Also love the shrimp won tons, garlic pasta and drunken beef (believe that's what its called). Service spot on and bonus having a full bar and decent wine list. As the other reviewer stated - its very well received by all SF residents which in my book is a plus. Get there as the doors open at 5:00 and you'll be assured a table, we were first in line and we arrived at 4:45!

Thanhlong is a Vietnamese restaurant but does not serve the usual Vietnamese food. They specialised more on seafood. Their Roasted Dungeness crab is a must eat. Huge crab with thick and juicy crab meat. The garlic noodle looks plain, but after you try it you wont stop eating. Another good choice is their buttery seabass. Cooked perfectly with ginger scallion and citrus infusion. What a great combination of flavour. We also order shaken beef which is tender cubes of marinated New York steak flambeed in Chardonnay. No wonder this restaurant always full.

Told this was the place to visit when in town. Must try dish is the crab with garlic noodles. Due to allergies I had to go fir beef but colleagues that went for the crab said it was delicious. One of the group tried it for the first time and is hooked. The location is a taxi ride out of the city and not at all glamorous but it’s all about the authentic food. Worth a visit.

We came here as a group with recommendation on crabs. I did not like to eat crabs in public, so I ordered the spicy eggplant with chicken and prawns which was rather disappointing. First of all, there are all together 3 shrimps and 2 pieces of chickens which seems rather expensive for a $20 dish. Second of all, it was not spicy at all except for the decoration of two red chillies in the plate. The taste was quite salty and it was just like any typical Chinese eggplant dish and nothing special at all. I also had the asparagus soup with crab which was on the other hand rather plain. Big disappointment. I tried the prawn on garlic noodles and it wasn't all that wild either. The crab may see quite overwhelming, but just not worth the money or the effort, especially for people like me who grew up eating hairy crabs in Shanghai. Overall, average and over priced place. Also, pain to find parking here.

Heard about this place from some online comments, and decided to try it out. Made a reservation for a Saturday night, and the restaurant called twice to confirm. Located in a somewhat residential neighborhood, I nevertheless had to drive around a few times to find a street parking space. The restaurant has no parking area, but does offer valet parking for a fee. Per recommendations, we ordered garlic noodles, and roasted crab. The garlic noodle is just plain noodles flavored with garlic. It's tasty, but should be more of a side dish than a main dish. Crab is tasty, but it's not worth close to $50 for a single crab. Other dishes were OK, but again, nothing special. Overall, it's an upscale Vietnamese meal. Food is good, but too pricey.