Community Chat

[Alexandra7]

How would you feel to know that prisoners were eating better than those of us on the outside? Not all prisoners, of course, but the ones at the famed, now-shuttered Alcatraz Island seemed to eat pretty well back in the day. So well, in fact, that a San Francisco hotel has decided to commemorate the food with a special, limited-time menu.

The folks at the Eclipse Restaurant at Hyatt Regency San Francisco claim it's "widely known that Alcatraz had the reputation for dishing up the best prison food in the United States," before closing in 1963.

Indeed, one former prisoner said the food on The Rock was pretty darn tasty. "The food at Alcatraz was as good as you would get in a good restaurant that specialized in home-cooked meals, better than most," William Baker said.

Available from Aug. 8 to Sept. 2, the hotel-restaurant will feature the Alcatraz dinner menu from 5 to 10 pm every day. The cost is $28 per person and includes a starter, choice of entrée with side dishes; and dessert.

The Alcatraz menu is, the hotel said, a modern-day version of what might be served today, if The Rock were still in operation, using modern cooking styles, ingredients and presentation.

The commemorative menu is part of a larger Alcatraz exhibit at the hotel, "Alcatraz: Life on the Rock," which is on display in the atrium though Oct. 25.

The Menu Starter: Clam Chowder Choice of Entrée: Boiled Short Ribs with Horseradish Sauce; Baked Meat Loaf with Pan Gravy; Spaghetti Italienne; or Baked Halibut with Spanish Sauce Served with: Lettuce Salad; Fresh Green Beans; and Mashed Potatoes Dessert: Banana Bread Pudding.