2 Parts: Best clam chowder in SF? Best Irish pub in SF?

I’m going to have to do a little more research but there’s a restaurant up at the Warf that supposedly has the best chowder, it’s called Scoma’s but I don’t eat clam so I don’t know from experience. I do know that everyone I’ve been with likes Boudin’s too.
As for an Irish pub… there’s a place in North Beach that I’ve passed by a few times, don’t know the name… try googling Iirish pub in North Beach”. There’s also Lefty O’Douls in Union Square.

Kennedy’s in North Beach is fantastic—also serves Indian food, which is also fantastic.

Also the Irish Bank in the Financial district is bang on.

Kennedy’s: http://www.kennedyscurry.com/
The Irish Bank: http://www.theirishbank.com/

Haven’t a clue where to find clam chowdah in SF… =)

Downtown, I second the Irish Bank. In North Beach. O’Reilly’s on Green Street. Lefty o’Douls is a baseball bar, not Irish.

In the Marina, try Delaney’s on Chestnut Street. And if you’re out in the avenues, there’s the Starry Plough and the Abbey Tavern.

San Francisco isn’t a chowder town but there is good chowder at Tadich Grill on California.

I don’t know about Irish pubs, but the best clam chowder is at Swan’s Oyster Bar on Post between California and Sacramento.

@hawaii_jake: I think you mean Polk not Post :)

@Samantha_Rae : Thank you. You’re right. It’s only been 20 years since I was there, so my memory may have slipped a bit.

Thanks everyone for your ideas.

These are the Irish pubs I found online that sounded tempting (with notes based mostly on this article: http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/irishpubs.htm):

Irish Bank (union square / financial district) – antiques, patio in the alley
O’Reilly (north beach) – also has food
Durty Nelly’s (irving/24th) – irish expats, food, fireplace, live music, crowds
Little Shamrock (lincoln/9th) – cozy with couches
Blarney Stone (geary/20th) – irish bartenders, crowded, irish bakery
Phoenix (valencia/19th) – mission ambiance, good food not fully irish menu but some

…any comments?

Less sure on the clam chowder part of the plan – maybe bar food and a single location will win over finding that this time around…

Lefty O’Douls is the place.
Keep in mind SF is not really a clam town, so you probably won’t find anything that didn’t come out of a can.

There are some small places in the Fisherman’s Wharf area that have good clam chowder. There’s an Irish pub on Taraval and one on Irving.

Christmas Eve Eve I had dinner at the Pacific Cafe, on Geary, around 32nd Ave. Best seafood in the City!