John's Grill

I went to John's Grill with a large group. I was excited to try out this restaurant since I usually see a line walking past it. Inside the restaurant was very large and had multiples floors to accommodate large parties. The staff was incredible and very friendly, but those were the only good things about this restaurant. The food, unfortunately, was terrible. I ordered the filet mignon, and it was honestly the worst steak I have ever had. It was overcooked, but served cold. The meat itself was tough and had no flavor. Hopefully others had a better experience with their meal...

Excellent old school vibe. Exactly what you would want and expect from a steakhouse steeped in history. Service is on point, attentive without being fussy. If you're expecting innovative plate presentation and flavors go elsewhere. If you want a stiff drink and some straight down the middle steak house classics, look no further.

Good steaks! Went for the bone-in. Cooked exactly to my liking which was medium rare, however the meat was on the tougher side. Good flavour. Great customer service. Was too full for desserts. Reasonably priced. I'll be back for more steaks when I am in town.

Great atmosphere. This place has roots! Snails and mushrooms were delicious, great drinks (a bit pricey) and delicious steak. Mine was a bit over cooked but even then, it was flavorful and delicious. My boyfriend and I came on a busy Saturday night - waitstaff was on top of it but a bit slow at times, which is understandable for it being the weekend. Steak comes with veg and potato. Would go back!

Probably some of the best food I have ever had. My wife had a steak and I had grilled red snapper and they tasted amazing.This is my first visit to San Francisco and John's Grill represented the city's restaurant scene exceptionally well.

This is obviously one of the tastiest restaurants in the area. Always when I come there I am truly glad. They maintain their high level service and the highest level of food they serve. You are always happy with this place. Warmly recommended.

If you like Sam Spade, this is a great place to eat since it was mentioned in The Maltese Falcon. Food is good, drinks okay, and it's a bit on the pricy dude. Still, worth a visit for nostalgia sake.

Called on Valentine’s Day with no previous reservation- they had no availability but told us if we could sit, eat with a candle under it- we’d be able to be seated. I completely understood and totally respect reservations by people more responsible than I. Service was great. Food was delicious. We appreciate the abbreviated version of the experience and look forward to coming back the next time we visit San Francisco.

The food was excellent. Was there for a work event of 45 people. Great service and good fun

Awesome T-bone. Wonderful atmosphere and brilliant staff. Was lucky enough to be able to walk in without a reservation but would recommend booking first. I had to stop myself ordering too many cocktails.

Great location especially if you are walking to Moscone from the Union Square area. Great service and fair pricing. All of our meals were served (ate here 2x) quickly and everything was done as promised. Salads were fresh and my steak was done perfectly. Solid place.

Classic decor that doesn’t stray far from the original early 1900’s style. Fancy place but not pretentious. Service was perfect (our server was Paul) and the food was absolutely delicious! Will seek this place out again when we come back to town!

4.5 .. Great steak and food. Was pleasantly surprised to find a jazz live performance at the top. Reasonable prices with great service. Steaks were really well done and good wine incl their own winery John CS in Napa.. cool!!

Nice traditional USA steak house locates nearby union square and shopping mall in San Francisco.Excellent food taste and variety of wine are offered. The price are slightly higher than other restaurant, however the taste is good in compensation.

We enjoy hanging out. Yesterday we arrived in this magnificent restaurant which friends told us about. We spent a beautiful time there with first-rate meal and an experienced stuff and a great chef. We put this fine restaurant in our list and we will surely return very soon. We warmly recommend.

I ordered the ribeye steak which tasted good but was tough to cut. Did not seem to be too tier steak, and they were out of potatoes, of all things, which they made up for with extra vegetables. Not quite the quality for the price that I was expecting but the portions were generous.

This restaurant is my preferable site. Of all restaurants I know I prefere it most. I never miss an opportunity to go to visit this place. Whenever I want to go to a special dinner, this place comes right away to my mind. outstanding and food and a rich cuisine.well mannered crew, and agreeable spirit. Also important, the bill is affordable. I sent my friends to this place with no hesitation.

Wonderful historic location! Great fast service! Food was fresh and flavorful. We ordered the lamb chops and New York strip steak. The atmosphere was cozy and enthusiastic. Will definitely return!!!

Delicious clam chowder, highest quality filet mignon with prawns. All in one of San Francisco's oldest restaurants, since 1908, made famous by the movie the Maltese Falcon. Make sure to go upstairs to see the Maltese Falcon statue.

I was there with a group of 40. The service was excellent. My fish was delicious. Lovely dark wood and leaded glass ambiance. Recommended.

Great food and good service. We had a wonderful time. Will definitely come back and hopefully check out the live jazz upstairs

I had a reservation and thus had no wait time before being seated. The location was great, the restaurant was cozy and intimate, but the food was just good and not great. Our waiter seemed tired and ready to go, no warmth . It was not a bad experience but I feel that the service could have been a bit better and the food maybe just needed some tweaks to take it from good to great.

Decent fare casual. Seafood, steak, etc...service was good, prices were reasonable.

John’s Grill lived up to its reputation! Recommended by a local so one of my colleagues made a reservation and told us to get a table on the 2nd floor. What a great choice! Tons of ambiance with excellent food (I had the Sea Bass and my colleagues both had the Filet) at a reasonable price (for a San Francisco steakhouse).

My niece and I were trying to go to Tad's Steakhouse across the street and they were still closed for renovation. Anyway, we saw John's. Across the street and decided to go there. Excellent excellent choice ! Wonderful portions the food was amazing. The atmosphere was wonderful. I really enjoyed it I will be back.Miss Kari D

I live in the neighborhood, I like the vibe here, I like the decor, and I like the staff too. I wanted to like this place and I kept hoping I'd get a good meal here. I've been holding off writing this review until I was sure, but just had my 3rd dinner here and I've been disappointed all the 3 times. Got steaks twice and lamb chops today. There's pretty much no sear on the meats, the quality of the meat isn't great and it's clearly cooked unevenly (raw on one side). I've had $20 steaks prepped with more care. Maybe they just don't care... they have the history and the Maltese falcon thing to keep drawing in new tourists. Despite everything else, the food is just so bad that it's not worth coming back.

The service is fine but the food is so mediocre. Had to ask for things to be reheated as they came out barely warm. The steaks had gristle and the potatoes had the black gnarly eyes. Do not recommend

Building was kind of small crowded but service was great for a busy night. The food was yummy and drinks were good, definitely get an old fashioned.

Outstanding pasta appetizer along with the delicious lobster bisque. The appetizers make a delicious meal on their own. Always a treat to dine at John's.

There is a reason this place has been around for 110+ years. If you're looking for iconic San Francisco, excellent service, quality steaks and seafood in an old school atmosphere...this is it. My friend and I were impressed from the moment we walked in- the staff was amazing, the wine list was fabulous, and the food was outstanding. From crab cocktail to the Roquefort salad to Ribeyes to chocolate mousse and key lime pie... everything was superb. Yes it's a little loud downstairs but we didn't mind, and if you'd like a different experience, you can ask for a quieter table on a different level of the restaurant. Oh- and we were even impressed with the bathrooms! We were here on business and will definitely return on our next visit to the city.

Eating at John's Grill was not only a glimpse into an iconic era, they also have fantastic food and generous portions. Reservations are a must because seating is very limited. I ordered the Chef's special Red Snapper topped with shrimp, crab, mushrooms and Lemon cream and it was sublime. I saw the plate of someone who ordered Sam Spade's Lamb chops with baked potato and sliced tomatoes and it looked fantastic. So much food! I don't ever intend to come to San Francisco again without visiting John's Grill!

This place is an institution. The food was beyond what was expected, it has a cozy ambiance, and the service was excellent. This place is stuck in the era of when restaurants used to have great food and service at reasonable prices. Can’t wait to go there again soon.

Made a 7pm reservation but didnt get seated until 730pm. Waitstaff were very friendly and quick. Cesare salad dressing was very fishy tasting but I've heard that's normal. Ordered the Chicken Jerusalem and it was pretty tasty, sauce was light and the veggies were fresh tasting.

The place is small and packed. The staff are very fastidious. They worked and move around so swiftly without knocking on each other. The server we had was awesome! Sometimes they are the one who makes the place tick! The food was wonderful too! We truly enjoyed our experience there !

Came here on a Saturday and it was busy! Definitely suggest having a reservation. My party did so we were seated right away. Nice cocktail menu but was not impressed with the food. I had the porter house steak and it was overcooked and the potato was so plain and unseasoned. I probably would not go back

Service was verrrrrry slow on a slow Sunday night. Food was okay but could be more special for the price. Everything is fresh, and good however but they could do more with what they have

Steak was chewy and tough. Interior is nice. Service is great. Atmosphere is good and romantic. But whoever buys their steaks or cooks it or cuts it should be re-trained or fired. Prices are fair, about 35-45 USD per person for meal with wine.

What a great steak house! If you are vegan don't come here because you will have a great time eating one of the best steaks known to mankind. You don't have to choose only meat, the seafood is outstanding as well. The price is right, a much better bargain for your dollar.

Everything cooked to temp! Relaxed environment with dim lighting and friendly service. Not to mention it was a block from Parc55 the hotel we stayed at. I recommend the prawn for the app and steak or smoked muscles are all amazing! The comp bread you get is a tasty sourdough so SF is all over the place in this restaurant! Enjoy!

Mediocre place. Wife’s fish was gross had to send back and reorder. My steak was way undercooked and had to send back. The service here is good but the quality of the food is eh. Wouldn’t come back. Seems like a tourist trap kind of place.

Very tasty steak but my medium "John's Steak" came on the rare side of medium rare and was tough as old boots (I ordered medium) . You only get the (no) choice of seasonable veg and a jacket spud. Fries (chips) and a nice bit of corn on the cob and some sautéed onions would have been preferable. Would I visit again? Probably not, I'd spend a few more quid at Masons up the road...

I ordered a half dozen oysters, and they were pretty tasty, although the presentation left a bit to be desired. Typically, oysters are presented on a bed ice, but the six I was given appeared to have been shucked and thrown onto the plate without ice. I was wondering if they would taste rancid, which I've experienced elsewhere, but fortunately, they were fresh and had the wonderfully briny taste of the sea that I was hoping for. I also ordered the prawns and porterhouse. I requested grilled prams, which were basically just jumbo shrimp, and they were well seasoned. To be honest, though, the main part of the meal and reason I went to the restaurant in the first place, the porterhouse steak, was unfortunately pretty flavorless and tough, which was disappointing. Would not return.

This place trades on its name and history, which is fine, but the food isn't worth the hype and neither are the drinks. Nothing wrong with them per se but no real flair or character, so I'd say this isn't worth a separate trip.

Googled looking for a nice dinner near our hotel in Union Square & John's Grill came up. Walked in without a reservation, told us to go upstairs and they would seat us no problem. We were sat on the 3rd floor near the bar. Great food & atmosphere. Mellow music. Celebrity who have visited photos all over which was cool. Limited menu but steak and seafood pasta were amazing (more seafood than pasta which was delicious although the shaved parmesan on top was a bit much) Felt like we stepped back in time....

Exceptional food and very large portions for a fine dining restaurant. Typically a very bustling scene, and often in Winter the front main dining room by entrance can get extremely cold as the door remains open quite a bit, due to the constant flow of customers. But the reason they're there makes the chill worthwhile, as the cuisine is outstanding. Just bring a wrap!

We got seated right away but it took forever for the waiter to come by. Once he came by and brought bread it was hard, unedible and cold. I ordered a drink from the bar and they took over 30 minutes just to bring my drink. I ordered the NY strip steak and it was unedible as well. I ordered it medium. They made it way over well done. It was tasteless, chewy, and dry. Worst steak I have EVER eaten. The waiter only came by twice the entire time we were here. Once to take our order and once to bring the steaks. Very inattentive. Would not recommend. THE WORST STEAK EVER. Not worth the money.

A fantastic old time place to have a meal. A true San Francisco institution, and it always delivers. Yes it's small, yes it's dark, yes it's "old timey".....but that is why it is so awesome. It is like having dinner in a Film Noir set. It needs to be experienced - you won't be disappointed!

I love snacking here. The staff was friendly and observant. This place has a cool atmosphere. They have a lot of good reviews for a reason.

For being one of San Francisco oldest restaurants it was nice but nothing special but being one of San Francisco oldest restaurants. Nice for a special occasion and or date or just a regular dinner.

Absolutely the best lamb chops I've ever had! My friends pasta was also excellent. Go upstairs to see the Maltese Falcon