For my first dinner in San Francisco, my friends managed to pull off what felt like a minor miracle and score a reservation for four at House of Prime Rib. If you know, you know. Reservations here can be months out, so I was extremely grateful and even more excited to finally experience it.
The Space
Walking in feels like stepping into a classic American steakhouse. Dark wood paneling, old school charm, leather seating, a lively bar, and a dining room that feels frozen in time in all the right ways.
The menu is refreshingly simple. They know what they are good at and they stick to it. Prime rib, classic sides, cocktails, and dessert. No twenty page menu. No analysis paralysis. Just meat and happiness.
The Martini Situation
Naturally, I started with a martini.
One thing I loved right away was that the martinis are served with a sidecar shaker. It is basically a bonus martini sitting next to your martini. Whoever came up with that idea deserves a raise.
The Tableside Salad
Everything here has a tableside element, which adds to the experience. The famous spinning salad bowl is prepared right in front of you and comes out unlike any steakhouse salad I have had before. Slightly sweet, crisp, refreshing, and honestly much better than I expected.
Yes, I ate my vegetables. Please mark your calendars.
The Main Event: The King Cut
For the main, I ordered the King Cut, the largest portion they offer. In hindsight, this may have been ambitious. It was enormous. Beautifully cooked, perfectly medium rare, loaded with flavor, and more than enough food for a normal person. Unfortunately for me, I am not always a normal person.
The prime rib is aged for 21 days and you can absolutely taste the difference. Rich beef flavor, excellent marbling, and just the right amount of fat. Every bite was exactly what I wanted from a classic prime rib dinner.
The Sides and the Horseradish
On the side, I went with creamed spinach and the loaded baked potato. Pro tip: ask about the off menu loaded mashed potatoes. I think it was only a couple bucks extra and absolutely worth it.
The horseradish was another surprise. It had a nice kick without overpowering the meat and added a whole extra layer of flavor to each bite.
I also managed to fit in an espresso martini because apparently I enjoy making difficult decisions for my digestive system.
How to Actually Get In
One of the best tips we got came directly from our waiter. If you are trying to get in without a reservation, Mondays and Tuesdays are your best bet. The wait for bar seating is usually somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour and a half. Honestly, sitting at the bar with a couple of martinis while waiting does not sound like much of a hardship.
Another trick is to set alerts on OpenTable. People cancel all the time, and if you are patient enough, reservations do pop up.
Final Verdict
By the time dinner was over, dessert simply was not happening. Not because it did not look good, but because I physically could not fit another bite inside me. That is a problem for the next visit.
Overall, House of Prime Rib absolutely lives up to the hype. Great food, great service, classic atmosphere, and one of those dining experiences that feels uniquely San Francisco.
Number two meal of the entire trip.
The second night we headed to Osso Steakhouse – read that one next.
I am definitely coming back.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.