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Historic John's Grill, San Francisco, CA

Historic John's Grill

4.7
4.7
7509 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

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2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 64 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
John's Grill has been a San Francisco tradition since 1908. This historic restaurant is one of the city's oldest and most famous and is a favorite of celebrities who enjoy great steaks, expertly prepared fresh seafood with excellent service and a one of a kind atmosphere. John's Grill was a setting in author Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon.

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Private dining

Private dining

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Steak, Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 11:45–15:30 Dinner Daily 15:30–21:00
  • Phone number
    (415) 986-0069
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Mauricio Sibrian
  • Private party facilities
    Historic John's Grill is a landmark restaurant established in 1908 offers private dining rooms for 20 - 300 guests. Classic San Francisco atmosphere offering local seafood and fine cuts of steaks and chops. Chosen as top 10 by Esquire and featured in Gourmet.
  • Private party contact
    Events Team: (415) 986-0069
  • Area
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Cross Street
    Powell Street
  • Parking details
    There is a parking garage directly across the street, Ellis - O'Farrell Garage.https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/ellis-ofarrell-garageParking near John's Grill:https://www.parkinsf.com/sanfrancisco/parking-near/John%27s+Grill
  • Public transit
    BART / MUNI at Powell Street Station
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 7,509 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
John's Grill, a historic San Francisco gem, delights with "great food and service," offering a classic "Old SF vibe" and "amazing steaks." The charming atmosphere, "wonderful" team service, and delectable dishes like lamb chops and lobster bisque make it a "must-visit" for locals and tourists alike.

7,509 Reviews
  1. jeffrey VIP

    Phoenix28 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Not good. Felt like a production line dinner.. Slap a steak on a plate with an undercooked potato and some wilted greens and serve. Very lazy. Both the Filet and the Ribeye were undercooked and not of a high quality. Server was too busy to find to ask for corrections. Would not return, would not recommend a friend dine here. Recommendation for The Johns... lower your seating cap and increase the quality of the dining experience.

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  2. Gordon

    London3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this restaurant but rather slow in taking orders and getting bill to sign

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco1 review

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food and ambience, the pictures on the wall were fun to look at. Love the literary history with The Maltese Falcon

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  4. Michael VIP

    Denver76 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very good historical restaurant. The food was very good. So was the service.

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  5. John

    Hawaii3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful dinner with jazz in the background . Five stars

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Austin1 review

    3.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    We had reservations at 8:45 pm. The restaurant closed at 9:30 pm. As soon as were sat, our server asked if we knew what we wanted to eat (at the same time as taking our drink order). When I said we would need a minute as we have never been here before, he immediately stated that the kitchen closes soon. We felt so rushed, not only to order our food but to eat and leave. I felt uncomfortable the whole time and didn't think ordering dessert was even an option because of how rushed we felt.

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  7. Epikurios

    Berlin3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food was good for the price. We had the three course menue. The filet mignion was excellent. The wine is mediocre. What’s most annoying is the noise level on the first floor. Very loud, and made even worse by the jazz combo. If you go, avoid the first floor. Service was OK, though slow and they made a mistake with the bill.

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  8. PaulaP

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service, food and live jazz music. We enjoyed the evening.

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  9. Janet

    San Francisco11 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was great. Everything was quick and smooth. The atmosphere was definitely old San Francisco, which was a plus, except for the noise level which made it hard to carry on a conversation. My partner and I both felt the dishes we ordered were very average in terms of how they tasted, although the servings were large.

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  10. MelanieD VIP

    San Francisco13 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    I had eaten here in the past and had a great experience. Tonight it was good. The waiter was very kind splitting our food as requested. The portions are large so when it was split it was just right

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FAQs

Historic John's Grill offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (415) 986-0069.

Historic John's Grill is rated 4.7 stars by 7509 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 64 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Historic John's Grill

63 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Powell Street
  • Area
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 11:45–15:30 Dinner Daily 15:30–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Steak, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There is a parking garage directly across the street, Ellis - O'Farrell Garage.https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/ellis-ofarrell-garageParking near John's Grill:https://www.parkinsf.com/sanfrancisco/parking-near/John%27s+Grill
  • Public transit
    BART / MUNI at Powell Street Station
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Mauricio Sibrian
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (415) 986-0069
  • Private party facilities
    Historic John's Grill is a landmark restaurant established in 1908 offers private dining rooms for 20 - 300 guests. Classic San Francisco atmosphere offering local seafood and fine cuts of steaks and chops. Chosen as top 10 by Esquire and featured in Gourmet.
  • Private party contact
    Events Team: (415) 986-0069
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  • Cookie Preferences
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