496794 Fri Mar 07 12:03:44 -0800 2008 14 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3470182 On a lark I hit up Harris' on Van Ness last night. I was able to secure a table for two at 9 pm by just walking in. Harris' has always been my go to steak restaurant in a City with a serious shortage of steak places. This night Harris' really delivered. Even better than usual. The rib-eye and the New York strip were awesome. The service was impeccable. The New York had been over cooked and the waiter with no fuss simply returned it to the kitchen to replace it with another. The iceberg wedge with the homemade ranch dressing was very good and it included a few cherry tomatoes (that were nice and sweet, though not local for all you local food obsessed). All in all it confirmed in my mind that Harris' is the best steak destination in the City. Fri Mar 07 12:03:44 -0800 2008 29396 grubber4 1 3470247 I'm curious how many steak restaurants you think we should have. I'm not being snarky, really! I can imagine that much of the mid-west is deluged with steak restaurants and a quick google search produced the following ten. Is there one you think we should have? Izzy's Steaks & Chops: San Francisco - izzyssteaksandchops.liveonatt.com - (415) 563-0487 - 63 reviews Ruth's Chris Steak House - www.ruthschris.com - (415) 673-0557 - 63 reviews Alfred's Steak House - www.alfredssteakhouse.com - (415) 781-7058 - 77 reviews Harris's Restaurant - www.harrisrestaurant.com - (415) 673-1888 - 80 reviews Morton's the Steakhouse-San Francisco - www.mortons.com - (415) 986-5830 - 27 reviews Acme Chop House - www.acmechophouse.com - (415) 644-0240 - 42 reviews Anzu Restaurant - www.restaurantanzu.com - (415) 394-1100 - 45 reviews Lark Creek Steak - www.larkcreek.com - (415) 593-4100 - 37 reviews Brazen Head - www.brazenheadsf.com - (415) 921-7600 - 32 reviews Bobo's - www.boboquivaris.com - (415) 441-8880 - 38 reviews Fri Mar 07 12:19:59 -0800 2008 3470182 16933 Carrie 218 2 3470897 Maybe the OP should have qualified that statement: "... a serious shortage of QUALITY steak places." San Francisco does a lot of things amazingly well; however, steak usually is not one of them. Fri Mar 07 14:56:40 -0800 2008 3470247 59644 jrhsfcm 3 3476375 Working at a hotel, the #1 restaurant request I get from guests is "a steak house within walking distance". Susan Sun Mar 09 19:22:16 -0700 2008 3470897 22319 waldrons 1 3470250 San Francisco doesn't have such a shortage of steakhouses any more: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/444366 Fri Mar 07 12:20:20 -0800 2008 3470182 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3470255 Forgot to click: Fri Mar 07 12:20:46 -0800 2008 3470182 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3475320 I'm not so sure that we have a "serious" shortage of steak places. A serious shortage of good steak places...probably. And I would agree that Harris is the best, but that's by default. There just isn't a world-class steak option here in SF. People often talk about Alfred's, but I've been twice recently and had truly awful experiences. One visit was the toughtest NY Strip ever, and the other visit was a huge, thick, tasteless, dry filet. And both came with the dryest, most flavorless baked potato I've ever had. Maybe Alfred's has had 2 bad nights, and I was there for both of them...but I won't be going back. Someone here described Ruth's Chris as being a "prom night" restaurant. That's a perfect description. They have on occasion served me an outstanding steak, but they aren't consistent...and the last two times I've been they didn't have the bottle of wine that I ordered from the wine list. That has happened twice in a row. Then, there's the whole shopping mall/prom night/chain restaurant feel to the whole place. But, I will say I've had one of the best steaks of my life at Ruth's Chris (in Southern California). There was something about that one steak that one night...it was outstanding. Some people love Izzy's. I beg to differ. That place serves mediocre steak -- on a good night. Maybe I'm spoiled being from the mid-west, and growing up in Texas, but truly nothing moves me about Izzy's. I can't claim to know about Acme's steaks. I've been there a few times, and I've always ordered something other than steak. My friends who are with me have had steak, and no one was complaining. But no one was gushing about it either. So if you tell me that I need to give their steak a try, I will. But past experiences at Acme haven't inspired me. So where do I claim to have experienced the best steak in SF? Oddly enough, at Kokkari. About two months ago, I had a rib-eye steak there that was possibly the best steak I've ever eaten. It was dry-aged, deliciously seasoned, and perfectly cooked. Everyone at the table tasted it and agreed it was a spectacular steak. Sun Mar 09 12:24:56 -0700 2008 3470182 156170 foodiesf 2 3475334 Here are the links... Sun Mar 09 12:29:06 -0700 2008 3475320 156170 foodiesf 2 3475942 In defense of Izzy's ... it isn't "knock you on your a##" greatness. It is reliable. You can get a decent steak and dinner at a reasonable price. Sun Mar 09 16:46:53 -0700 2008 3475320 10264 rworange 2 3477219 I agree! You really nailed it - can you stand the low lighting @ Alfreds? Haven't tried Kokkari - thanks for the recommendation. Mon Mar 10 06:55:59 -0700 2008 3475320 16290 Waterboy 2 3477691 dry-aged: Acme, Alfred's, Boboquivari's, El Raigon, Epic Roasthouse, Harris' both (?): Lark Creek Steak (menu specifies dry-aged for certain steaks) to be determined: Joe DiMaggio's, Izzy's (menus just say "aged") wet-aged: Bob's, Morton's, Ruth's Chris Mon Mar 10 09:06:10 -0700 2008 3475320 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3476026 My favorite place for steaks in the city is El Raigon. http://www.elraigon.com/ Sun Mar 09 17:13:45 -0700 2008 3470182 15835 Husky 1 3476433 Should have clarified, I meant a shortage of good steakhouses. Acme while pretty good is completely dead during 6 months of the year, Morton's, Bob's and Ruth Chris are all chains. Alfred's is very mediocre. El Raigon has great grass fed hanger steak but isn't a classic steak house. Joe DiMaggio's is a quasi-chain that is kitschy. Izzy's and Bobo's are two I have never tried. So yes, I believe we have a shortage of quality steak houses. Sun Mar 09 19:41:59 -0700 2008 3470182 29396 grubber4 2 3477391 Have you been to Lark Creek yet? Mon Mar 10 07:53:53 -0700 2008 3476433 16933 Carrie 218 3 3478290 actually really enoyed Lark Creek's Rib eye. I forgot that on my list. The meat is sourced and well cooked. I know there has been a change in chefs recently and haven't been back since just before Christmas. The major detraction there in my view is that it's in a shopping center, albeit a nice shopping center. Mon Mar 10 11:25:45 -0700 2008 3477391 29396 grubber4