Flora King Steakhouse — Restaurant in San Francisco

This is our third time back at Flora King. We initially stopped in just for a glass of wine but couldn’t resist adding on two incredible desserts that I managed to snag pictures of: the cuatro leches cake and the affogato, made with some of the best ice cream I’ve had in years.

On our other two visits, we did full sit-down dinners. Some standout dishes included the empanadas, lamb steak, and pizza topped with goat cheese. Honestly, every single dish that came out was somehow better than the last. I don’t say this lightly—it’s the kind of place where you come home (like I did just a few hours ago), and you can’t stop thinking about the food, wishing you’d brought leftovers for the next day. It’s also exciting to see new menu additions between our visits—it keeps each meal feeling fresh.

I especially want to give a shoutout to the empanadas. I’ve had empanadas from so many different countries and countless restaurants. No matter the country or the corner of the world, I’ve tried them. And Flora King’s are easily in my top three. Tonight’s visit also came with the added bonus of meeting Angela, the owner. Her openness, the restaurant’s story, and the heart she puts into every dish were genuinely moving to hear about. I loved learning how each dish remains traditional yet includes subtle, family-owned twists that make them unique and personal to her. That conversation turned what was meant to be a quick nightcap into a truly memorable experience.

Overall, every visit here has been consistently wonderful—from the Argentine boleros playing softly in the background, to the welcoming staff, to the incredible food. As someone who grew up working in a Latin American restaurant, Flora King feels like home and triggered so much nostalgia for me, in the best possible way!

I can’t wait to come back again, explore more of the menu, and...

Flora King is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. We’ve ventured in a handful of times and have had a great variety. I highly recommend dropping in for a meal or even sitting for a cocktail or app just to pass time. The space is vibrant and the staff is very welcoming.

Heading into the food. The empanada dough is flakey in a great way and the filling is packed with flavor. We’ve had lamb (lamb burger and the bariloche from a former menu). The bariloche was unreal and one of the best lamb dishes I’ve had. Their lamb menu has rotated but I wouldn’t look past them. We’ve also had both types of their Milanese and both had a crispy seasoned crust that are worth the try. French fry lovers will not be disappointed with their generous portion of fries which are well seasoned. In addition to fries with main entrees, we’ve had the scramble gramajo—pure comfort food with eggs, bacon, fries, and cheese. Despite all of the items getting tossed in, the texture was excellent and held up for an enjoyable shared dish.

The love doesn’t stop with the main entrees. Their desserts have consistently been refreshing. The Cuatro Leche Trifle has several layers of flavor that I could eat any day. Cake, cream, dulce de leche, and strawberry? Can’t go wrong. The flourless chocolate cake is also rich and the ice cream is a perfect addition. If you love coffee and ice cream, why not drown each in the other with the affogato. I’m sure I’ll frequent just for dessert on more days because these have been great.

My exposure to drinks hasn’t been as extensive. The Buenos Aeries Spritz caught my attention the first time and that’s all I’ve had. It’s really refreshing and worth getting...

Overall, it was an underwhelming experience.

The service was lacking. My friend asked what wine would go with the meal he decided on, and upon getting a recommendation, he asked for a taste. The waiter tried to run off to get the taste before asking me any questions. I had to stop him from running off so I could ask about wine for the meal I decided on but hadn't had a chance to order. Upon receiving the tastes, the waiter disappeared. We received our appetizer before the waiter returned to take our wine order. Note that if you order the empanadas, you get one. The menu should be corrected to the singular. Also, the menus and appetizer plates sat on our table the entire meal. After our meal and having sat around for quite a while, we had to get up to find someone to help us get our check. During the entire meal, the waiter never returned to ask how our meals were or if we needed anything else. They seemed sufficiently staffed for the mostly empty restaurant.

The food wasn't great. The empanada could have been cooked a little longer but the filling was tasty. I ordered the lamb burger which was basically loose ground lamb on a bun. Simply picking it up caused a mess because the "burger" fell apart, and the fries were soggy. My friend ordered the pork which was undercooked and wrapped in flabby bacon. To be fair, he said it tasted good.

Given the number of good restaurants in SF, I would not go back...