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Historic John's Grill, San Francisco, CA

Historic John's Grill

4.7
4.7
7456 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

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2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 59 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
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 am–3:30 pm Dinner Daily 3:30 pm–9:30 pm
  • 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.
  • 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 7,456 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

  • San Francisco

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Historic John's Grill is a San Francisco gem known for its "great food and service" and "historic ambiance." A favorite for holiday dining, the restaurant offers delicious steaks, seafood, and salads with a festive atmosphere. Despite occasional crowding, patrons appreciate the "friendly and accommodating" staff, making it a top choice for locals and tourists alike.

7,456 Reviews
  1. LEONARD

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was 9 of us at the table. The live music was great. The food was excellent, and the waitress was there for our needs. Thanks we all had a wonderful time

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  2. John

    Hong Kong

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Low quality gristly beef and appalling slow service from disengaged staff who simply ignored us in an all but empty restaurant - great disappointment all round

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  3. Andrew

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We reserved a table for 6:30 on a Sunday. We showed at 6:34 and were seated in a few minutes. We ordered a few drinks before dinner and were served them within 5 minutes. Steak was cooked to perfection and as usual the clam chowder was out of this world. It's not the cheapest meal in the world but won't break the bank. Will definitely be back.

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  4. Romina

    Dallas

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice ambience esp with live jazz duo on 2nd floor, but tables too close to each other and very loud, not a good place for conversation Service was good and steak was good (per our guests who live in Australia), seafood we ordered (lemon butter sole and snapper) nothing special

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  5. Charlie

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the moment we were seated, the service was outstanding. We never wanted for anything throughout the meal. The food was served promptly, and we shared the Roquefort Salad, with was huge, and was delicious. I had the Fisherman's Pasta with basil cream sauce. It was a large portion, and the linguine was cooked to perfection and was loaded with assorted seafood (snapper and salmon) and giant succulent shrimp. My friend had the Fried Jumbo Shrimp with Baked Potato and Veggies, which he enjoyed a lot. We both had enough to eat that we had doggie bags to go with enough for another meal. This was the second time at John's Grill, and it is an outstanding dining experience. We ate early, but as we were leaving at 6:30 the musicians were arriving to perform. Next time we will go a little later so we can hear them too!

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  6. Devin

    VIP

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Overall a very poor experience at John's. Our party was large (12), so we had to wait to get seated 10 minutes past our reservation time. Not a big deal though, these things happen. We get seated and they take our drink orders. Takes 15 minutes to get drinks and they forget the drink of the birthday girl. We order food and they forget to put in one of the appetizers. I later had to ask the waiter about it and told him to cancel it if they hadn't put it in yet since our entrees would be coming out soon. Never came back to apologize or explain what happened. We wait over an hour for our food to get brought out, it feels like we were the last ones in the restaurant to get our food. Entrees come out and everyone's steak is under-cooked over over-cooked; medium-rare is medium or rare, medium is medium-rare/rare. Forgot to put in side dishes, at least 3 people changed out their baked potato for another dish and yet were brought a baked potato. Said they could split the checks for us individually but instead of having an square/terminal/app to do it from the waiter came out one by one and had us circle what we ordered and would then bring and check run it and come back. Birthday girl and her husband had a $100 gift card to use for the place, we had to wait 10 minutes for them to get it approved. It took us almost 45 minutes from when we asked for the checks to get them paid and be able to leave (and we had somewhere to be). Ambiance was nice if a little loud, jazz musicians upstairs were friendly and gave some good energy to the room. For the price, service, inconsistency, would not recommend or return.

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  7. Adam Sandel

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. The vintage ambiance is welcoming, and the food and service are reliably excellent.

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  8. Carolyne

    VIP

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    John's Grill is a convivial lunch or dinner spot. It's unpretentious and provides a great value along with a touch of historic atmosphere as well, three reasons you may find political movers and shakers eating here, as well as tourists. The Jack LaLanne salad with seafood is my favorite dish. Service is brisk and friendly.

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  9. Dorian

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The New York steak was absolutely delicious and offered at an excellent price. The restaurant’s ambiance transported us back to the 1950s, creating a unique and nostalgic dining experience. Despite the bustling atmosphere due to the J.P. Morgan Chase conference, the hosts and waitstaff treated my friend and me with the same warmth and professionalism as everyone else—even though we were two casually dressed brown guys amidst a sea of suits. I’ll definitely return when I’m craving a great steak!

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  10. Scott

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our team dinner was the best we could’ve imagined. Great service great table great atmosphere. We really wouldn’t have picked another spot in the city.

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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 7456 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 59 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 am–3:30 pm Dinner Daily 3:30 pm–9:30 pm
  • 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.
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