Other than airport food I have never been so startled by the gap between the quality of a restaurant's food and the restaurant's prices. Not only did we have to wait 10 minutes for our reservations, but once we got inside we found that there were at least 10 empty tables. Our appetizers were uninspired and not very good. My wife's entree was probably the worst piece of fish either of us have ever been served (airplane food included). It was tough, dry, flavorless and kind of small. My cioppino was fine, but nothing special. For $20+ entrees I expect much, much better, tastier food. The waiter was nice, but the service was incredibly slow.\r
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The place was packed, but I honestly can't figure out why. I've lived in the Bay Area my entire life and have passed Spenger's 1000 times at least, so when my wife told me that she was taking me there for dinner I was really psyched. Tourists and old folks seemed to be into the restaurant, but my wife and I were just so disappointed. \r
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Next time I want good cioppino I'll goto Franchino Restaurant (347 Columbus Ave in SF) or The Old Clam House (299 Bayshore Blvd. in SF). For good seafood in the East Bay I'll stick to
Pros: Casual Atmosphere; Validated Parking
Cons: Bad, Bland Food; Slow Service; Too Expensive given the poor quality of food
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