Honestly? Been craving proper seafood for weeks since my last paycheck cleared, so dragged the gang down to Pier 8 tonight. The place was packed, smelled like the ocean in a good way, and my stomach was basically yelling at me. Felt kinda overwhelmed staring at the menu though – everything looked good but my wallet ain’t bottomless, you know?
The Scouting Mission
Opened the big menu pamphlet thing, pages kinda sticky already – classic seafood spot vibes. Started skimming past all the fried stuff ’cause I wanted the real deal, the signature bites everyone whispers about. Asked the server dude what flies outta the kitchen most, like what folks can’t stop ordering. He pointed right at three things without even thinking.
Putting in the Damage Order
Alright, decision made. Ordered all three must-try items he named, plus some fries for the table to soak stuff up. Felt the wallet cringe a little, but hey, gotta know what’s what for this review, right?
- The Whole Damn Dungeness Crab (Chili Style): Showed up bright red and messy. Smelled garlicky and spicy like woah. Grabbed a claw, cracked it open (took some wrestling, ngl), and sucked out that meat. It was sweet! Seriously sweet crab meat. But then wham, that thick, kinda globby chili sauce hits ya – spicy for sure, but sweet too? Like tomato-y? Totally messy, kinda sticky, completely addictive. Had to wash my hands twice after. Worth the chaos.
- Grilled Giant Squid Tube Thing (Balsamic Glaze): Looked fancy on the plate, cut into thick rings. Took a bite. Chewy? Yeah, but in a good way, like perfectly cooked pasta almost. Not rubbery at all. Then the glaze kicked in. Shocked me. That sweet tangy balsamic soaked right into the squid. Didn’t expect balsamic with squid to be that bomb. Perfect balance, honestly.
- The “Black Pepper Beef Thing” (But with Scallops): Okay, name confused me too. But big, juicy scallops swimming in this crazy black pepper sauce. Took one. Scallop was melt-in-your-mouth tender, cooked just right. Pepper sauce hit me next. Powerful punch of black pepper, savory as heck, coated the scallop so good. Strong flavor, yeah, but somehow didn’t drown the sweet scallop taste? Still confused by how they did it. My buddy kept stealing my portion, jerk.
The Aftermath
Left leaning back in the chair like a stuffed seal. Wallet definitely felt lighter – those must-tries ain’t cheap. But my belly? My belly was deeply, deeply happy. Fries were forgotten, zero regrets. That chili crab… still thinking about the mess and the flavor hours later. The balsamic squid felt like a weirdly fancy win. Pepper scallops? Pure comfort with a kick. Yeah, Pier 8 knows their hits. If you go hungry and don’t mind the splurge? Order these three. You’re welcome.
