John's Grill

After deliberating with my friends on where to have dinner in San Francisco, we ended up choosing this restaurant with a long-standing tradition. The steak I ordered was absolutely delicious, and paired with the wine recommended by the friendly staff, it was perfect.
As I looked at the walls filled with photos, I could feel the restaurant's fame and history. Given its popularity, I highly recommend making a reservation in advance, or else you might face a long wait.

The ambiance, food, and service were so good we went back on the second day. Ana, our server was super professional yet friendly and attentive. Ask for her! The place oozes charm and history. The cherry on top is that the food was amazing! Not to mention that the location is super convenient to everything. Do yourself a favor, don't miss this San Francisco gem!

This place is packed so I would recommend a reservation however it’s definitely worth making. I would not take children here it’s more of an adult place. There is a full bar & the bartender is heavy handed on the alcohol! John the manager was amazing with setting up our wonderful window table. The bouncer aka host was very accommodating & helped us by walking us to the cable car & even making sure we had a seat on the car. The food was amazing, & you have to try the escargot it is so delicious!! The steak was cooked to perfection & try the creamed spinach with it! Great place with so much history.

Got hungrey in downtown SF, and boy, did I find a gem! A classic NY style steakhouse. I ordered a med-rare ribeye, and wow, it was done to perfection. The loaded baked potato was a perfect compliment. But the kicker was the long island iced tea. It was made in the original NY style. Totally recommend this fine hidden gem! The food was superb, and the service was spectacular.

We loved everything about John's Grill, San Francisco! We started with clam chowder and Ceasar salad, we ordered the Beef Medallions, Broiled Salmon, and the Fisherman's Pasta, which were all incredible. We also loved the sourdough bread starter and the Handmade Vanilla Bean ice cream. The service and atmosphere are excellent. This restaurant is historic, nostalgic, and has been here since 1908, and has served many famous people! I highly recommend experiencing a piece of history in San Francisico.

11/2023: Fantastic spot for a meal. Multiple floors with plenty of space, well decorated, and service is top notch. Bit pricey but seems well worth it! Food was fast and tasted great, and servers were just on it. Great spot, and highly recommend.

Nice restaurant with long history. We had been told this restaurant is a must if you are in the Union Square area. The food was good, the atmosphere as well. However, our stake was not cooked as asked, and we were completely ignored when we stated that. However, I get that the place is always crowded, and they might be overwhelmed with the amount of work.

John’s is the best! The staff is fantastic and the food is delicious. I have been coming here for years and it’s maintained consistency. Decided to review after all this time as a thank you, the host gifted me a John’s Christmas ornament and it just made my whole week. Thank you for being the best in sf!

It's such an older place, but so cute, romantic, fancy cozy place with 3 floors to choose where to sit. I've been here way to many times these past two months. My go to entree is the tortellini! Yum!!!! And the shrimp, any plate, is good as well.

WOW! I have visited many steakhouses in my life, and this one ranks right towards the top! A classic old-style steakhouse with the most tender filet, excellent service and an atmosphere that's very chill! If you want a steak in San Fran, this is it!

BEST RIB EYE EVER ! You have to with mashed potatoes. I went 3 days in SF and i went two time to eat here. Service are excellent.

Just had the best steak dinner I’ve had in my life. Glad I stopped in. This is my new favourite restaurant. Just visiting from out of the country but I’ll be sure to stop here every time I ever return to San Francisco. The food, atmosphere, and friendly staff made this such a nice experience.

There's a reason this place has survived everything related to SF!
We ordered the rib eye and surf & turf, Caesar salad and lobster bisque - not one complaint on the food. Absolutely perfection.

The pear martini was my choice and it was very satisfying.

Service is attentive without being interruptive.

I'm so happy this place has not closed and hope it remains open for another century!

Awesome spot to treat a colleague. Not far from Moscone and so much better than lining up 60 deep for fast food at lunchtime!
It’s Chanukah! So I have to get fries. Theirs are nearly miraculously good and crunchy.

Classic old school vibe steak house. You can feel the history here. There are a lot of new fancy high end steak places with very expensive steaks in San Francisco and if you like that new fancy hip vibe you have plenty to choose from. This is very traditional and very old school and the food and service is fantastic. It’s a comfortable intimate setting. Quick fast and attentive service, waiter was always asking if we needed more soda or bread or anything else. Prices were very reasonable. I ordered the filet and it was cooked to perfection, tender, juicy, seared to crispy outside and moist inside. It also included green beans, baked potato and cooked carrot. Most other high end steak places charge you for this. Also ordered fries which were crispy and seasoned perfectly and grilled onions which I ate with baked potato. All in all a terrific place for a nice steak dinner.

Wow, what a fantastic experience from start to finish. We left feeling like it was an absolute honour to have a meal here. This gem in San Francisco definitely doesn't rest on its laurels from years past. Thank you so much for being the highlight to our stay in San Francisco, we can't wait to come back one day.

Why would you get anything other than the Sam Spade Lamb Chops???? The history of John’s is amazing, the service top notch, but the food; the Food!!!! Ample bread and sizable portions make this place a great option. Seriously, do yourself a favor, come down and get the Lamb Chops with the Heirloom and Baratta salad. It will change your life.

great to eat in San Francisco. It was recommended while attending a work conference and it did not disappoint. Foo was great, great presentation and cooked to perfection. Drinks were awesome as well. And it has a very cozy and retro vibe.

Appetizers: Lobster Ravioli
Soup: Lobster Bisque
Mains: New York strip with side of shrimp

Lovely food. No waiting area though if you arrive early so don't arrive too early.

Went here with a party of 6 for a company dinner. This place screams ‘old school’ vibes - and it was packed. We had a variety of salads, steaks and desserts. Everything was delicious. Steaks cooked and seasoned well, Caesar salad was especially good, and prawn cocktail came with awesome horseradish for the cocktail sauce. Service was very attentive, despite being so busy. Everyone agreed it was a great experience. Would definitely return!