Liholiho Yacht Club — Restaurant in San Francisco

Review from 2016: I've heard a lot about Liholiho Yacht Club. I finally had a chance to give it a try last night. All I can say is "Wow." I understand what all the hype is about. It's one of those unique San Francisco restaurants you have to try.

I came with a group of four, and we decided to start the night off with a round of drinks. I had the Coconut Telegraph (Banks 5 Island Rum, Coconut Syrup, lime), which was refreshing and light. The others at the table had the Surfer Rosa (Hibiscus Vida Mezcal, Punt e Mes, Benedictine, lemon, soda), the Clifton Special (Diep 9 Genever, Coconut Water, Coconut Syrup, soda), and a glass of the Riesling Trocken Nahe 2014 Emrich-Schönleber.

We decided to order a variety of dishes to share for the table. Liholiho offers three main types of dishes - small bites, appetizers, and entrees. For small bites, we started with the tuna poke (sesame oil, radish, nori cracker) and beef tongue (kimchi, cucumber, poppy seed steam bun). For appetizers we ordered the tuna belly (misoyaki, white corn, tentsuyu), the roasted octopus (curried raisins, castelvetrano, butterball potatoes, fresh coriander), and the fried rice (bay shrimp, spam, abalone mushrooms). Our entrees were a Hawaiian-type fish called opah (chili-honey rub, gigantes, preserved meyer lemon, red cabbage, soy brown butter) and grilled shortrib (escargot, bone marrow, mushrooms, fresh horseradish).

I was impressed with the creativity in each dish, and the way the flavors worked together. Liholiho is Hawaiian at heart, but influenced by California fusion and other Asian cuisines. Some restaurants lack an identity, and overcompensate by trying too hard to be unique. Liholiho is the opposite. It's carved out its own niche in being a high-end restaurant that prides itself on Hawaiian cuisine, while bringing in other influences. The highlights of the meal for me were the poke, the opah, and the shortrib - although it's difficult to pick favorites because everything was good.

Both the beef tongue and the roasted octopus were much better than I anticipated. The chef brought out the flavors in a unique, and exciting way. The beef tongue paired well with the spice of the kimchi, and the soft steam bun, while the roasted octopus was great with the curried raisins and butterball potatoes.

After an incredible meal, the waitress brought out a dessert menu, and we couldn't resist. So much of the food had been good, we had to see what the desserts tasted like. We ordered the baked Hawaii (caramelized pineapple ice cream and vanilla chiffon), and the stonefruit cornmeal cake (corn crème anglaise). Similar to the main courses, the desserts had a variety of flavors that worked well together. The baked Hawaii was filled with a light cake (chiffon) and ice cream, with pineapple and coconut on the side. The cornmeal cake had a crisp exterior, and was soft on the inside. It was served with fresh fruit and a custard sauce.

Liholiho was everything I hoped for - and more. It may be my favorite restaurant in San Francisco. The ambiance was relaxed, the service was great, and the food was every bit worth the price we paid. An experience that will stay with me for...

Had dinner and LihoLiho after a hugely disappointing pre dinner experience downstairs at Loiue's Gen Gen Bar.

What is it that draws people to these types of places?  You are packed in like sardines, and forced to sit on wooden benches or stools.  The quality and tastiness of the food being served is important, but so is being comfortable.  This is impossible at this restaurant.

There is nothing hip or cool about sitting on a rock for dinner.  It's like camping and eating someone's idea of gormet food. Actually that's not true, because the chairs I take camping are comfy in comparison.  The food downstairs at Louie's was pretty awful. Way over priced for what you get. The food upstairs at LihoLiho was better. Some of the items were pretty good.  The peppered popcorn appetizer (or whatever it was) reflects poorly on the image of a higher end dining establishment. One of our dinner items was squid. It was served on a bed of red cabbage.  You think you are getting something similar to calamari, until you take a bite. Then you realize what you got was a plate of cabbage with a few pieces of squid, and a boat load of empty fried batter pieces.  That's right, none of the battered pieces contain any squid. This is a joke.

Like the “bar” downstairs (if you can call it that), the bar upstairs in Liho is extremely limited.  Their idea of a premium vodka is ketel one (on par with jet fuel). Sharp and extremely harsh. Luckily we had brought wine, but I didn't have any other drinks before or during dinner.  Might have if the restaurant wasn't serving ketel “gasoline” one.

But we were really there for the food.  The service upstairs at Liho was good. The staff is attentive and friendly.  We did the prix fixe menu, chefs choice. Should be the best they offer. I’d rate the meal a 6.5 - 7 overall.  Like a buffet, they fill you up on fluff then deliver small slivers of meat and call it dinner.

The ahi cubes were good.  Never had them on a toasted piece of seaweed.  The pate was one of the best items. It was topped with pineapple. Awesome flavor.  Iceberg wedge and beef rib (you only get one) which is lightly coated in honey and burned with a torch also good. The "Baked Alaska" dessert was impressive.  Looks like a mini beehive.

I expected to be wowed.  No, it was above average, but underwhelming. Why, because the food and beverage options together with the service, atmosphere and comfort was only marginal (average) as a whole.

Been dining in San Francisco for over 45 yrs.  I've experienced the best SF has to offer during this time.  How was Liho? Avoid the bar downstairs at all costs. Know that both bars have a limited liquor selection.  Bring wine unless you enjoy drinking sugary (cheap liquor) fruit drinks that will give you a headache the next day.  Order strategically. Many of the menu items are padded with carbs and offer little protein or meat. Save room for dessert, the “beehive”...

I recently dined at this restaurant with a party of three, and while the food was truly solid, there were several aspects of the experience that left much to be desired.

We thoroughly enjoyed most of the dishes we ordered. However, the issues arose with both the seating and service. For parties of three, the restaurant seats you along a narrow corridor by the bar, which seemed to be more suited for two people. The booth seating was cramped, with one chair sticking out into the walkway, making it difficult for people to pass by without occasionally kicking our chairs. When the bar became busy, we felt quite in the way. This seating arrangement seemed more appropriate for walk-ins, but for guests who made reservations, being placed at a makeshift table that felt poorly designed was disappointing. We noticed several other parties of three seated in the same area, so this may be the norm for that party size. My advice? Avoid booking for three if possible, as you’re likely to get stuck at the least desirable spot.

As for the service, while we were enjoying our desserts, the bill was brought to the table as soon as our desserts arrived. We didn’t think too much of it at the time, but as we finished the first dessert, the host came over to collect the plate and informed us that the next party was already waiting for our table. We found this off-putting, especially because there was no mention of a time limit on the website, in our reservation email, or during booking. We had arrived on time at 5:30 pm and were wrapping up at 7:30 pm — hardly an excessive amount of time. It felt as though there should have been a better buffer between reservations, especially for a more relaxed dining experience.

The table next to us was also told their next party had arrived and the table offered to finish their wine in the foyer, which is a nice gesture, but this is not a fast-casual restaurant. I feel like tighter booking times like this should be re-evaluated by management, as it created an uncomfortable atmosphere for diners.

All in all, while the food was great, the seating arrangements and rushed service detracted from the overall experience. I would recommend reconsidering your reservation size and being mindful of the restaurant's...