Van's Restaurant On The Hill

The Vans is a great local place to enjoy wonderful views, a slice of history and enjoyable atmosphere. What I did not find at the Vans was great food... or service for that matter. The menue is on the "safe" side. Meaning, you won't find anything to tell your friends about... more like the good 'ole faithfuls... steak, basic fish dishes, etc. The service is somewhat absent minded (i've been here 3 times, so it's not a fluke). While the servers tend to be friendly... they seem inexperienced for the level of cost associated with eating at the Vans.

PROS: views, local
CONS: food, service

I went to the Vans last summer and the food was okay, but I wouldn't go back just because of the food. The reason to go to The Vans is because of it's historic location. The building is one of the few remaining buildings from the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1909 (the same origin of the Palace of Fine Arts), which was shipped down the Bay and set up in Belmont as a restaurant. It has a great view and is an interesting place for San Francisco history.

Everytime I visit this restaurant I leave satisfied along with my doggie bag to take home. This is a great place to get some quality, high class food for reasonable prices since their portions tend to be more than most people can finish. I highly recommend this place and if you get a window seat the view is awesome. They have a wide range of entrees to choose from, steak, seafood, chicken, etc...

This restaurant is outstanding. The food is very tasteful, but a little pricy. This is a special occassion restaurant, and the one you take there will be very thankful. The views of the bay and lower peninsula are great. The servers are always on top of getting you what you need to be able to enjoy your dinner at the Van's.