Harris Restaurant

Great service and great bar

Pros: Cooked to perfection

Cons: none

Posted 10/15/09

The bone in filet. That's what it's all about. They have an extensive menu, sure, just about anything you can ever ask for, but just go and try it, you'll be hooked like I am.

Posted 02/10/09

We ended up here after House of Prime Rib messed up our reservation and so glad we did! We had a great meal & service! The prime rib, scallopped potatoes, & creamed spinach was so delicious. Staff was attentive and prompt. A really great meal. We sat on the lounge side (same menu) and heard a very nice jazz duo while dining.

Posted 12/28/08

At a time when other restaurants are lowering prices, Harris' has the hubris to be RAISING theirs!!! I guess they feel that they are so good that they can afford to do so or that people are so stupid as to not notice.
Well, this diner noticed!

Also, I had made the reservation two days beforehand and requested mashed potatoes, something commonly served at steak restaurants. Well, when I arrived I was told that I should have called the chef three days in advance if I wanted it. Does anybody know the chef's tel. number???????? I certainly do not! I could have made mashed potatoes in 5-10 minutes so why is it so hard for the chef to prepare? Has it become an exotic dish that one must fly in from New Zealand?

Needless to say, this will be my last visit to Harris' for a LONG TIME, if I ever even choose to return.

Cons: Attitude from Maitre D'

Posted 12/21/08

I have been to many steak houses in SF, and Harris is by far the "Best of the Best". I keep trying new places to see if they can out do Harris and haven't found one yet. Hint: Try their "Sidecar". The best I've had anywhere.

Pros: Steak, Martinis (Sidecars are Great!)

Cons: Make reservations. Books up quick.

Posted 04/01/07

I was waiting to write my review. I sent a complaint letter directly to Harris steak house after my less than adequate dining experience. To my surprise... i promptly received a personal phone call back from the General Manager who was very apologetic about my terrible dining experience. I won't go into detail. But the long and short of it was... I felt rushed, some of the items my fiance and I ordered were sub standard and needed to be returned. Our wait staff was more or less one foot out of the door even though we were still eating at 9:30pm.

I'm sure this was a flook event. And I wish it didn't happen to me. But, I'm not sure if I would give Harris another chance and I'm not sure if I would recommend it to a friend. The General Manager did guarantee that he would correct and make the staff aware of my unhappiness. And promised me an amazing dining experience if I ever were to come back.

lastly, thank you to Harris GM for at least taking the time to call me up and personally apologizing to me.

Posted 01/22/07

Went for Valentines Day last year and had one of the best steaks so far in San Francisco. The service was excellent from start to finish! The food was delicious, the steak was a perfect medium-rare as ordered and the drinks were strong and to the point. Best to have your sweetie pay but well worth a nice night on the town.

Pros: Great service and food

Cons: very dark wood atmosphere, hard to read the menu

Posted 11/19/06

I love, love, love Harris! Although there can be a wait to be seated even when you have reservations, it is worth it. try the filet mignon rossini - with foie gras. It's absolutely marvelous! They also have valet parking

Posted 10/26/06

Bad wine service. Harris' fails by offering the most smug, misdirected wine service we've had in years--and this from the head sommelier who informed us, more than once, that he "developed the list himself." It's a long wine list with some very nice bottles, but if wine *service* is important to you, go somewhere else.

Pros: Great Steak.

Cons: Wine Service was both uninformed and rude.

Posted 10/04/06

Very neat ambiance. The hosts are very nice. I had the petit fillet and it was a beautiful piece of meat. The side veggies were below average, and the potato choices were a bit uninspiring.

This is a decent quality meal that may have been tailored for older clientel that cannot handle the spice or salt. If they would spice up their sides and flavorings I would go back anytime.

Pros: good quality ingredients

Cons: menu is a little boring

Posted 09/03/06

Get the Kobe beef. It's very expensive, but it is absolutely worth it. It really is unlike anything I've ever had before.

Posted 08/29/06

I have been going to Harris since I was a kid, when you were not allowed in the dining room without a sport coat and tie. And, it is still excellent. Great steaks, especailly the Harris cut, and great wine list.

Pros: Harris cut is the best steak in town

Posted 07/19/06

One of the most beloved steakhouses in San Fran -- as an out of towner, this place is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I would take a 4200 mile round trip plane ride again just to dine at this fine establishment. The pepper steak was heavenly -- cooked to perfection. The service was some of the best I've ever experienced -- first class. The turkey Thanksgiving dinner was better than mom's. Dinner for two was extremely romantic, esp. after enjoying a few of the individual barrel chilled martinis. You may be a bit intimidated when you first enter the restaurant but the staff is anything but pretentious. A+++++.

Pros: steak, martinis

Posted 11/28/05

Service was average. Food was real tasty, but a steak quality just a hair below below what you see at Ruth Chris or Mortons. Steak was juicy and tender. I had the Harris Steak. French Fries were outstanding. Service was relaxed and slow. They had a jazz bar playing in the non reservation room which was kind of cool and annoying at the same time. All in all I was pleased.

Posted 10/29/05

I've been to Harris' many times. Each time I am surprised by how beautiful this restaurant really is. The outside world just melts away. I love the booths in the dining room and the live jazz in the bar. The martini is served in a wooden barrell. The steaks are wonderful. Service is unobtrusive, but attentive. Anybody visiting this city has to go here. It's what the city used to be. It's when the evening dinner was an event.

Pros: great ambiance, great food, great service

Posted 09/27/05

I booked my friend's bachelor party dinner. We were running late so I called at 6 to tell them it would be 8:30 not 8 o'clock...they said, "no problem." HA! We arrived promptly at 8:30 and had to wait for our table until 9:30. They squeezed us into the smallest table possible. Drinks etc are VERY expensive here with wine prices easily tripled and martinis run $10 or more. The Harris Steak was SMALL (for $31) and not cooked well, the salads were SOAKING in the dressing and the whole meal was just weak. Our waiter was inattentive ...he seemed only interested when we wnated to add additional wine bottles to the bill. The food was cold when it came...I know this place gets high ratings, but it is really slipping and I (we) won't go back. We can spend our $600 elsewhere and have a much better experience.

Cons: late seated, cold weak food, poor service

Posted 09/08/05

My husband and I honeymooned in San Fran., and wanted to go out one night for some good eats. Our concierge told us about Harris'. We took the cablecar to the nearest stop and checked in with the hostess. Right from the beginning we were greeted with a friendly staff. The evening turned out to be one of the best evenings yet - the food was oustanding and the ambience was awesome. Expensive but well worth it!!

Pros: Yummo!, Excellent service, Cable car accessable

Cons: Pricey

Posted 06/05/05

I go everytime I'm in San Francisco. Great food and service. The atmosphere is the best of the steak restaurants in San Francisco - sophisticated, yet not pretencious. The prices are steep, but well worth it.

Pros: steak, Steak!, STEAK!!!

Posted 05/14/05

This was an amazing dining experience. Great cocktails and wine, great service and great steak. HIGHLY recommended!

Posted 02/01/05

We have been searching for a great steak place and finally found it! I highly recommend the beef tenderloin with foie gras with a cabernet sauce!! On the other hand we have been there 5 times and have gotten bad service! I have not been back because I cant deal with the unperfeshional wait staff.

Pros: food

Posted 01/12/05

I've been to many steak places...this is my first in SF...is this really the best in SF?
SERVICE: No problems as we went on a Thursday night. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable.
AMBIANCE: Classy, typical steakhouse atmosphere, nothing out of the ordinary.
FOOD: Had the Filet with Foie Gras on Top with black truffle cabernet sauce. I didn't care for the sauce much, but the Foie Gras and Filet combination was very good.
PRICE: I thought it was a tad on the expensive side, but then again beef prices have gone up.
OVERALL: Great, but not exceptional. Would I go back again? hmm....maybe...to try the ribeye or NY Strip.

Pros: Good Steak, Filet w/ Foie Gras

Cons: , Parking

Posted 11/10/04

For great food like this comes a price. Wait times are long on the weekends, so I recommend recommendations a few days(even a week) in advance. Great menu, the cuts are incredible. But, make sure the dining party knows what they're getting into...enjoying a great NY cut or filet mignon. Vegetarians should look elsewhere.
In addition, the sides, salads, and wine list complement an excellent dining experience.
I went with family but it's a great place to bring clients, a date, or about a group of 5-6.

Posted 10/24/04

this steakhouse is absolutely the finest one in SF. everything flowed perfectly, the service, the presentation, the martinis... then, the best part, the steak! it was heaven to eat. we lingered around all night not wanting to go and practically closed the place. a bit pricey but oh SO worth it. if harris' is out of your price range, then i recommend trying boboquivaris. a way more low-key place, but excellent steaks.

Pros: food, atmosphere, service

Posted 08/18/04

I just had a great dinner at Harris'. I am not usually a big steakhouse fan but Harris' may be my new favorite place. I ordered a New York steak that was cooked exactly as ordered, my friend ad the prime rib and it was quite tasty. They also make very good martinis. The wine list is really large but the wine buyer from the restaurant came by and helped us to pick a bottle that we really enjoyed. We also had some good appetizers, smoked salmon and oysters. The restaurant as large and comfy booths. I could have stayed all night. It is a little expensive but worth the splurge now and then.

Pros: great steaks, good service, comfortable

Posted 08/11/04

We had the Harris' steak and prime rib. Both were good though the prime rib at House is better (of course). We also had oysters which were ok but were a little fishy. Service was fine though I saw one waiter rub something off a glass before bringing it to a customer. We would go again but only for special occasions and cause it is pricey. We were in the smaller room so it was more romantic and quieter than the main room.

They definitely need more valets. We went there on a Saturday night and there were only 2 valets. There were several of us waiting for our cars in the cold. Plus when they brought our car around, there was some traffic congestion and the valet "parked" our car in the street and we had to rush to get in as our car was blocking traffic.

Pros: Steak, Atmosphere

Posted 06/23/04

I was visiting San Francisco when I went to Harris'. I was blown away by the amazing food and the incredibly extensive wine list. Service was incredible, seating was comfortable, and the booths gave a great sense of privacy.

Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Great Experience

Posted 05/08/04

Finally, a great steak in San Francisco. Ive eaten in most of the steakhouses in the city, and have to say I've been disappointed until I finally found Harris'. Nice plush booths- rather than small cramped tables. Attentive staff, excellent service.
It is on the pricey side, but with all the perks, well worth it. The food and service is consistently excellent, Ive been back three times. Great place for a special occasion or for business dinners.

Pros: Excellent steak, great service, ambiance

Posted 04/04/04

The best atmosphere for a Steakhouse. My top 3 places in San Francisco. Sometimes the food isn't up to par and usually the bussers are better than the waitstaff but what decor! The Bartenders make up for all the failures in the dining room.

Pros: Atmosphere, Service

Cons: inconcisity, service

Posted 03/20/04

Go here if you don't know steak, and don't mind snotty waitpersons, ignorant bartenders, and a whopper of a check. Harris SF is a rip-off for those who dine out only for show, or maybe to impress a business client from the east coast on the company expense account. If you know your steak, try the Buckeye in Marin instead.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: , WAY overpriced, Lousy Bar

Posted 03/07/04

A great Valentine dinner with my wife, was seated Promptly and service was excellent, waitress Lucy was personal and outstanding, when things slowed down we invited her sit and talk. Have been to many good steak housed and the steak was one of the best, cooked perfect, tender and very flavorful, great apps, and two bottles of champage later what a dinner.

Posted 02/14/04

It was a splendid evening for my partner Robert Harris and myself. We enjoyed the Diane steak and the Harris Martini. The setting and service was wonderful. For romance and a fabulouso meal. please come to Harris'.

Pros: Food, Service, Romance

Cons: None

Posted 06/09/03

Loved the food, but this is a pricey place. Best for special occasions.

Posted 05/14/03

The service was pretty good and the dining room - especially the library room, was awesome. They have a nice bar. Unfortunately, the steaks just didn't meet our expectations. I am not a fan of chain restaurants (I don't like Ruth Chris) but I had a much better "steak" experience at Morton's.

Pros: service, dining room

Posted 04/13/03

The food is usually superb, but the vibe of the place can't be beat. It's a steak house for "silver foxes," which means when you show up in jeans and a sweater, you're going to have a great time. Incredible, but over-priced wine selection, you should bring your own bottles and pay the corkage.

If you have a large enough group, the John Wayne room is one of the best ways to spend an evening in SF, ever...

Pros: Superb steak, Superb service, Wine selection

Cons: Prices, Over-priced wine

Posted 03/29/03

We had a large group that lived in SFO for several months last year. One of the bright spots of that time was Tuesday night "steaknight" where we would dine as a group at the top steakhouses in SFO. We originally expected to be in SFO for about 8 - 10 weeks, just enough time to hit all the places on your list. We eventually hit all of them several times and Harris's more than any other.

Posted 02/03/03

My husband and I never make a reservation and are always seated within a reasonable amount of time. Since the drinks are great it is not a problem to wait at the bar. We actually prefer to have dinner in the bars' dining area because of the live music and a more lively atmosphere. The main dining room is quiet and more subdude. Great wine list. We LOVE this place!

Posted 01/12/03

Outstanding food, service, and ambience. Great food, pure class. A definite recommend.

Pros: excellent food, great service

Posted 12/22/02

Old school, and not in the good way, this place has a good cut of meat (although not the best in the city). Service is fine, it took 3 tries to get my steak right and then I just gave up.

Posted 12/18/02

Everything you'd want in a steakhouse right up to the steaks aging in the front window. My steak was expertly prepared: blood rare with a cool center and the steak tartare was the best I've had. While the wine list is adequate, there's considerable room for improvement. That and the staff are not overly knowledgeable on the subject. Ambience is sedate and clublike, with a separate, well-stocked bar and lounge. Service is very good.

Pros: Great food, Well-stocked bar, Good service

Cons: No parking, Pricey, Mediocre wine list

Posted 12/03/02

I ordered my filet well done. No pink, as I like it.
I guess some chefs (or in this case fry cook) take offense to people ordering THEIR meat well done.
Well done means no pink left, NOT Black,chared, and dried out.

Posted 12/03/02

You get what you pay for. Hit the ATM hard, or check your credit card balance before you go. You go here for Steaks. They're the best. Period. The Prime Rib is to die for. Service and surrondings are excellent. Enough said.

Pros: Steaks & Prime Rib, Ditto, Ambiance

Cons: Pricey, Parking

Posted 11/26/02

I used to live in Nob Hill and have heard nothing but great things about Harris'. When my girlfriend and I, along with my buddy and his girlfriend, went there for dinner, we came expecting a lot. The prime rib and filet mignon were prepared as ordered, the service was terrific and the wine was excellent. We got to sit in a smaller room with only 3 other tables making for a cozy, yet elegant setting. I live in Chicago now where good steaks are common but I wish Harris' was still down the street.

Pros: Great Steak, Ambience

Cons: Bit Pricey

Posted 10/27/02

Menu, preparation, atmosphere, service, and most importantly, taste, were superb! Attention to detail was wonderful. When reserving online, I requested a nice table as it was our anniversary. I never mentioned it to anyone when we arrived, but we had a very nice table (but they all are pretty nice!) We were too full to order dessert, but the waiter presented us with a wonderful raspberry sorbet with a candle in it to share. What a surprise!

Pros: Quality product, Romantic, Delicious

Cons: Expensive

Posted 10/23/02

A slab of juicy 2 inch thick Prime Rib, Excellent Filet Mignon, baked squares of oh so tasty Scalloped Potatoes, and creamed Spinach to die for. This place
is the absolute bomb! Attention and promptness of
service was top-notch. If you love beef, this is the
place for you!

Pros: fine service, great beef cuts, nice atmosphere

Cons: high price

Posted 10/16/02

It started off with the hostess squeezing us in to a 3 top over the phone...the cabby got us there in 7 minutes flat. I had the filet, my two partners in crime had prime rib...all conversation stopped during the meal...our eyes rolled back in our heads with each bite. The wine was reasonable and the martinis were mixed beautifully. The jazz trio was a great touch. I'm from the midwest, where beef is our THING...nothing here comes close.

Pros: helpful staff, great wine list, extensive bar

Cons: wow! the bill!, tables were close...

Posted 10/06/02

The last 2 times I went there, a couple of months ago, the meat was dry and not particularly tender...porterhouse and strip steak, so I think they are resting on their fried onions...this isn't as it used to be!

Also, they tend to take you to inferior tables when good ones are available.

Pros: martinis

Cons: mediocre meat

Posted 10/06/02