2100 Van Ness @ Pacific
phone: 415.673.1888
hours: Mon-Thurs 5:30-9:30pm, Fri 5:30-10pm, Sat 5-10pm, Sun
5-9:30pm
Full Bar
Steak House
harrisrestaurant.com
Harris' is old school, famous for their huge window display
of meat proclaiming "Corn-fed Midwestern Beef Dry Aged
for 21 Days." I guess that's good? A little pricier than
my usual SF eats, Harris' is an upscale steak house with no
pretense of being anything else.
The Ambience:
Half-shell leather booths, crisp tablecloths, and a cozy lounge
for those out-of-touch folks without reservations (us) give
the aura of ole timey class. The live jazz band was talented,
subtle and upbeat. The had too much lighting for my taste, but
steak houses aren't known for being ideal romantic rendezvous
spots.
The Menu:
Beef! NY, prime rib, filet mignon. Potatoes! Scalloped, baked,
fried. Appetizers of crab cakes, escargots and salads run about
$10-$15. The price of steak starts at $30 and climbs sky high.
Harris' is probably the only place in SF without a vegetarian
dish. The wine-list book is extensive, complete with table of
contents. We found a great Syrah for $40.
The Food:
Pretty damn good. Our crab cake appetizer was crisp, fresh and
zesty. The steaks (we got NY strip) were a touch undercooked,
which is the traditional steak house way. They were smoky and
tender, so I'd say just about perfect. Nothing to rave about,
but really, how much can you do with steaks? No bbq or steak
sauce offered OF COURSE and thank goodness. The bread was fresh
baked, warm and flaky. No idea about the desserts, because we
were ready to roll home by the end of our meal.
The Service:
The hostess, or I suppose at this level we'll call her the maitre
d', came over and checked on us halfway through the meal. Classy.
Our waitress was the perfect balance of very professional and
extremely friendly. The aspiring busboy, who was disheveled
with tangled hair and wild eyes, asked us in broken English
if we wanted a dessert menu, which I don't think he was supposed
to do. No harm done.
Reservations: Strongly suggested,
but you can get a walk in table in the lounge by 7pm most weekdays.
Overall: A-
Certainly good steaks, but nothing exciting for the adventurous
diner.
Reviewed : April 2004
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