Harris' Restaurant - The San Francisco Steakhouse — Restaurant in San Francisco

Harris' Restaurant in San Francisco is a culinary institution that effortlessly blends classic steakhouse elegance with modern sophistication. From the moment you step into the warm, inviting ambiance, you're transported to a world of culinary excellence. The restaurant's Prime dry-aged steaks are simply divine, cooked to perfection with a rich flavor that melts in your mouth. They even feature Wagyu options.

But the menu offers so much more than just steaks. Whether you're craving seafood, poultry, or a hearty salad, Harris' has something to satisfy every palate. Steak tartar, veal sweetbreads, onion rings, and oysters are always on our table to kick things off. For entrees, I usually get Prime Rib (available every day) or the Porterhouse. Tried the lobster for the first time our last visit, now that will be in rotation too as it was cooked perfectly and was a generous size (over 2lbs).

Also, make sure you leave room for dessert! The Baked Alaska and Creme brulee flavors change with the seasons and are the perfect ending to any dinner at Harris restaurant. Nice variety of other sweets that are all tasty, creative confections. Can't go wrong with anything from the pastry kitchen!

The knowledgeable and friendly staff are always on hand to offer recommendations and ensure that your dining experience is top-notch. The waitstaff is very welcoming with playful and professional attitudes. So refreshing. Watching them all move together through the bustling dining room is like a well choreographed dance.

The Somm team is incredibly educated on all things fermented grape. They make great recommendations every time we have dinned, including some esoteric bottles we would never have known about otherwise.

One of the unique features of Harris' is that all drinks served UP (in a Martini glass) come in a cool barrel sidecar. This generous touch ensures that you can enjoy your favorite cocktail, have a refil on demand, that doesn't get diluted, and the last sip is as cold as the first sip.

In addition to its exceptional food, libations, and service, Harris' also boasts nightly live entertainment. Music from a jazz trio adds a vibrant and energetic atmosphere to the restaurant, making it the perfect spot for a special occasion, night out with friends or a nightcap.

If you're seeking a world-class steakhouse in San Francisco, look no further than Harris'. This iconic restaurant delivers on every level, offering exquisite food & drink, impeccable service, and a lively atmosphere that is sure to impress.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO: *Definitely recommend making reservations. *Valet parking option. *Complimentry coat check. *Butcher counter to buy raw steaks...

Father’s Day Disaster – First and Last Time at Harris’s

We decided to try Harris’s for the first time on Father’s Day, and sadly, it will also be our last. This restaurant may have a storied reputation, but our experience was anything but legendary. The service and management were shockingly poor, and the entire evening felt like an afterthought.

From the moment we sat down, we were never greeted by our server. Ken, the server assistant, was the only bright spot—polite, attentive, and doing his best. After our second water refill, we had to ask Ken to find someone so we could order two vodka martinis. Our actual server, Sean, eventually appeared—but without a greeting, without an introduction, and without any mention of any specials. He simply asked if we were ready to order and left.

Our drinks (delivered by someone else, not Sean) arrived, and then we were left stranded again. We had to flag down Reese, the manager, just to place our dinner order. At this point, it was clear we were not a priority. Sean maybe came to our table twice the entire night and never once checked on how our food was. Unsurprisingly, our sides came out cold.

We flagged down Reese again and told him how disappointed we were. Instead of offering to remake the food or salvage the situation, he simply brought the check. He didn’t take ownership, didn’t apologize meaningfully, and certainly didn’t attempt to make things right. His only gesture was to offer limoncello shots—something we weren’t drinking and didn’t want, especially as we were clearly ready to leave.

No adjustment was made to the bill despite the cold food, lack of service, and overall disappointing experience.

To add insult to injury, my dad actually called the restaurant after we got home. I dine out often in San Francisco and immediately saw how off the entire service was—but my dad was genuinely oblivious to how bad it truly was in the moment. He called to express concern and was under the impression the manager had “solved” the issue at the table, which couldn’t be further from the truth. There was no solution, no service recovery—just an uninterested check drop and some limoncello.

Now I understand why this place was easy to book on Father’s Day. It’s coasting on its name. Don’t waste your time or your money—go to House of Prime Rib or literally any other quality steakhouse in the city....

I'm giving this restaurant a five star review but it is probably more like a 4 star and let me explain why.

Firstly, the staff was very attentive, however, I did mention we were celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary but it didn't seem like anyone noticed or cared until the end of our dinner. That's fine. I don't expect others to celebrate and be happy for something they themselves aren't experiencing but I think the issue was that I did inform them earlier while booking the table.

Second, we traveled from Chicago to go to this steakhouse and it felt more like we were locals just celebrating, "again", like everyone else. I get that a lot of people come here to celebrate special events, and maybe that can be desensitizing to the workers but when you're spending about $400 between two people, I just feel like the level of attention needs to match that regardless of whether it's a celebratory event that brings you there like others before you or some other unnamed purpose. I do imagine that it can be mentally taxing on its staff but it did feel fairly impersonal and truth be told, I felt more like a bother for imposing on them as a patron of their establishment (think Midwestern nice).

Third, the atmosphere is odd. It's like Chicago jazz and the Green Mill or Red Head Piano bar (so fairly chill) meets Stepford wives and arrogance. It's different. I wouldn't have felt comfortable but thanks to their amazing cocktail list and significant wine list, I stopped caring.

Fourth, the food was good. The steaks were made exactly how you asked and the hors d'oeuvres were fantastic. The raw oysters were very fresh and everything really hit the mark. My honest compliments to the cooks! I additionally think it would be so much fun to be able to book a table in the kitchen and see the masters at work but, alas, that isn't something they do.

Lastly, I would say the overall experience was great but I would certainly hesitate to come back again. As an adventure, it was fun, once, but when we come back again to San Francisco, I'd like to try something different and a bit more welcoming in their atmosphere.

I wish this institution nothing but the best and ultimately do recommend it but I do think they could improve...