SFReview
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
Alba Ray's
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Everyone in San Francisco lives here for a reason. Maybe it’s a job. Maybe it’s a deep love for unreasonably steep hills within a major city. Maybe you can’t function without a pourover coffee shop nearby, or you’ll immediately die if there’s no Fernet available at a bar.
As great as it is here, though, sometimes you can’t handle another conversation about micro-fasting or the crypto markets, and you want to take a little trip to a place that doesn’t feel so much like SF. A place where butter is the number two ingredient in most dishes, the drinks are strong, and avocados don’t have their own section of the menu. Where the space is dark and the atmosphere is a party and people are just sitting down to dinner at 10pm.
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
When you get that itch, head to Alba Ray’s in the Mission. This New Orleans-inspired spot serves the best Cajun food in the city, with energy and alcohol fit to match any part of New Orleans - except maybe Bourbon Street.
The menu is seafood-centric, and everything from the shrimp and grits to the grilled oysters is extremely close to the type of food you’d actually be eating in and around the French Quarter. All the dishes are rich and fairly heavy - exactly as they should be - and the portions aren’t small, so the best approach is to head in with a group and get a few things to share. The jambalaya (vegetarian or regular) is not to be missed, and you definitely want the oysters we just mentioned, as well as at least one dish involving grits. Overall, Alba Ray’s is a step up from other takes on Cajun food we’ve had in the city - the menu feels closer to stuff you’d really find in New Orleans, and the kitchen doesn’t lean too heavily on just throwing things in batter and frying them. Other than the beignets, which you should absolutely get for dessert.
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
The interior is dark with a few colorful elements, like a purple couch and emerald tiles - plus some chandeliers and cool wall plants. The bar, where they make great sazeracs and French 75s, is long and even optimal for watching some sports, since they have a few pretty big TVs. People tend to come here in the mood to party, but not in a spilling-drinks-on-you or vomiting-into-the-plants kind of way. It’s ideal for a big group dinner when you’re all willing to share food, and maybe want to have a drink or two too many.
Despite the New Orleans theme and strong drinks, this place doesn’t devolve into a drunken bachelor party after too many Hand Grenades. It’s a lot of fun without being too much - maybe because everyone’s just so full. So when you want to take a one-night vacation from the grain bowls and California wine lists and check out a place that knows how to have a good time, hit up Alba Ray’s.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
Mixed Green Salad
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
Grilled Oysters
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
Shrimp Toast
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
Jambalaya
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison
Rabbit Sausage
Shrimp & Grits
photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison