Hillstone

Fast, friendly, high quality service. Food is amazing. Can get busy. Limited menu but everything they offer is outstanding. Vegetarian options (the veggie burger is great!).

I would have to argue that this is the best restaurant to visit for lunch before going on the Alcatraz tour, as it is just across from Pier 33. It was hubby’s birthday, and the French dip is one of his favorite dishes, so Hillstone was the perfect choice. The beef was so juicy and tender, with ample portions of au jus. The sundae with chocolate sauce was a nice, light finish to such a hearty and substantial meal. My favorite part was the beautiful and spacious dining area. It was great to get off our feet and enjoy lunch in a relaxing atmosphere before going on a hectic 6-hour walking tour! We look forward to recreating this day the next time we visit SF.

Beautiful ambiance and kind staff! The chicken sandwich is DE-LI-CUOUS! Drinks well made. I’d pass on the fries next time but everything else was tops!

Hillstone's is definitely a place I would recommend to anyone- bring that special someone (family, friend or a date) for stellar service, great food and ambiance.

I first came here on Mothers Day to treat my Mom for brunch. Although there is PLENTY of indoor and outdoor seating (as well as at the bar), I highly suggest making a reservation to secure your spot because it's a very popular place.

On this visit we had:
MOM- Apricot glazed chicken, Caesar salad and a side of broccolini with parmesan. No complaints from Mom- she loved the flavor of the chicken.

ME- Off the menu item of salmon salad.
Salmon atop a bed of greens with avocado chunks, crispy onions, grapefruit slices (yum) and a nice tangy dressing. The salmon was a bit too undercooked for me so they were nice enough to cook it to medium for me. And it was light and delicious!

We also ordered fries because well that's how Mom and I roll. The fries come with homemade dipping sauces (we had a garlic ranch that was so good) and the fries are so well seasoned you don't need to add anything to them. Although they do come served with the restaurant's secret seasoning blend.

My 2nd visit was for a friends birthday. We had:

FRIEND- French dip sammie with au jus and fries.
ME: Grilled rainbow trout with fried rock shrimp and the infamous fries. Oh my! The portion was enough for two meals but it was so dang good- I kept eating and of course we could NOT put down the fries. Order them- you won't be disappointed.

We also had spinach dip- it was made to order and another cannot stop eating item. LOL

Do yourself a favor and make a reservation.
Afterwards, walk it off by the Pier and the water.
Oh plenty of street and public parking across the street.
Thank me later!

01/08/2023

Came here around brunch time. We got seated immediately since we had a reservation thru their app.

For Appetizers, spinach and artichoke dip, came right away and it was delicious. I liked that there’s refill on the chips!

Then, we ordered Kale salad with roasted chicken and the Macho salad. Both salads were succulent.

For dessert, we had the infamous chocolate sundae! It was a great treat to end our experience!

The staff was very friendly and welcoming!

Thank you so much for the great experience ❣

Best make a reservation and they will seat you closer to the reservation time even if you arrive early. Lovely place to have a cut of prime rib. They have the bone in cut and it’s massive. The seasonal artichokes were great and the mashed potato is very well season and so was the broccolini. Service was good and a very pleasant experience overall.

Great food, plenty of seating, although service can be a bit slow at peak lunch times.

Paige was awesome, very knowledgeable on the wines and everyone thanked her when they left the bar. I had the veggie burger and that was really good.

Spectacular experience! Let's start off with our host, Joe was amazing! Thank you for being so attentive and your suggestions, the food was delicious. Great way to spend out Christmas eve dinner, definitely going back to try the burgers.

Had the most amazing dinner last night at Hillstone! Food is incredible and the service was spot on! I have lots of food allergies and they accommodated beautifully. Husband had the best chopped salad and prime rib with bone in! Don’t miss a chance to check it out!

Really great tasting staples with brilliant service — the food is a solid 4.5 but the service is superb bringing it up. The staff is very attentive.

We had a longer wait than expected but were offered complimentary beers and a snack when it proved to be longer than quoted.

We then sat for a very yummy meal. The focaccia was excellent, as were the wines recommended by the manager — we settled on a red blend and Chablis.

The food was well prepared, flavorful and they paid a lot of attention to individual requests. The cocktails and wine are overpriced but they make up for it with their strengths.

Glasses were never empty, used plates removed promptly, excellent customer experience.

A lively and warm venue with great quality food and staff. If your party has more than 4 people then they may not be able to reserve you so someone should go in to put their name on the waitlist. Besides that the food, specifically the steaks, were juicy and flavorful. The NY strip (~14oz) slightly better than “the Hawaiian” (~16oz) but smaller in portion and more pricey. The cheeseburger was also delicious (~1/4 pounder) but I would not recommend the crispy chicken. All pictured below. Would definitely come back again.

Consistently fantastic. I've been coming to Hillstone for years and have been amazed by how consistent the quality of food and service has been. I normally don't order marinated steaks, but the Hawaiian rib eye is one of a kind and the slaw is the perfect compliment with it's mustard bite and just the right amount of creaminess (not watery at all).

Candace was my server today and she was incredible. Kind, helpful, professional, and timely... I really could not ask for more.

I’ve come here multiple times now, and loved every single one. The food is delicious, the service is phenomenal, the atmosphere is great, and the quality is of the utmost. 9.5/10

Excellent, we'll cultivated menu. We had the French dip and it was divine. The drinks were delicious and the ambiance was great. Just a short jaunt away from Pier 39 and well worth the walk. Oh, and don't skip dessert...

Excellent food and service. No wait at 5pm. We had smiles on our faces the entire time we were here. We had the foccacia $4, kale salad $11, french dip $25, and 3x prime rib @$58 each with a few cocktails. There's something special about this restaurant. The chefs did a really good job on the menu. I couldn't quite figure out how they made a simple kale salad taste so good. There was a hint of mint mixed with cabbage and chopped peanuts. My medium bone in prime rib was awesome. I LOVED how they served it with little tea pot thing filled with au jus. We were so full and satisfied. I usually don't order desert but I made an exception for their brownie. Great job everyone at Houston's. O, I mean Hillstone (they changed their name in 2010's).

My husband and I love coming here on a Friday night after a long week of work. The ambience is so chill. And despite being near the busy Embarcadero, there's always parking nearby. The food is delicious and fresh and staff is very friendly. Even though there are hundreds of good restaurants in San Francisco, we always find ourselves back at this restaurant.

Found this place by accident across the street from Alcatraz Ferry- great food, fast and tasty plus great service too!

The absolute overall environment is absolutely amazing 👏, the service is truly spot one and the food is something to witness and take in. The drinks are well crafted and the food is absolutely 💯 % spot on. My wife and I came there for our 1 year anniversary 💕 ❤, and we will most certainly be coming back again and again ❤ 💙. Thank you HillStone. 😊

Great stylish restaurant with excellent food. Not cheap but you get something out of what you spend.
Did have a cheeseburger with fries and my wife the veggie burger. Both excellent and very fresh and tasty.
Restaurant was clean and nicely decorated with dimmed lights.