Gridskipper

It's counterintuitive that the main, blinged-out, tourist-tastic stretch known as Fisherman's Wharf carries a treasure for both tourists and locals alike. Underneath all the neon, electronics, and t-shirt shops,… there exists an actual working fishing wharf (though smaller than in its heyday). Along this working wharf are snack stands, but they do not sell the usual fried tourist fare — they sell crab. Crab Louie, crab cocktail, cracked crab (and yeah yeah yeah they have the clam chowder in the damn bread bowl) ... an assortment of delights that are delicious and cheap compared to most of the places down there. [link]

If you get up early enough, you can catch the fishermen that work out of the wharf brining in their catch for the day. During commercial crab season, this means hundreds and hundreds of wiggling, pinching, tasty… crabs. Buying from the fishermen eliminates the middleman and keeps the fishermen fishing off the wharf. That, and the crab is still scuttling when you get it home. [link]

The shopping complex Crustacean inhabits is really, really seedy, but after you climb into the heavily graffiti'ed elevator, you step out into a freaking oasis of serene waterfalls and excellent service. The whole… menu is good, but the thing to order during crab season is the whole roasted crab. It's a garlic-soaked Vietnamese piece of heaven. [link]

This tiny place only has the absolute freshest seafood, all the better to chow down on it in its rawest form. Go here to eat crab the way it was intended to be consumed — with bare hands, raw and perfect. [link]

Technically this place is a sister restaurant to Crustacean, but the crab is so good it rates a mention anyway. The atmosphere is more casual than Crustacean, but it still has excellent service and an upscale vibe.… [link]

This place is a no-nonsense, unpretentious, non-flashy joint with possibly the freshest seafood in the city. It's a mom and pop joint, and they hand-pick everything on the menu, including, of course, the crab (only… when it's in season). The delicious briny oysters (many, many kinds) are the perfect appetizer with a liter of the house wine. [link]