We had such a good time. It's a small town/small bar vibe with an urban sensibility for flavors and presentation. Our waitperson was prompt, friendly, and informed. She helped us make good choices as out-of-towners, and the food was delicious. We started with oysters on the half-shell and moved on to filet for me, pepper steak for my husband, and a delicious burger for our granddaughter. Finished with the raspberry sorbet. We enjoyed the change of pace from the busy wharf area. Recommend it and would go back again. read more

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Wait staff wore masks . Provided water for my dog . The salads were really good. The BF enjoyed his filet mignon and twice baked potato . My shrimp scampi pasta was okay. The prime rib sliders were amazing My margaritas were perfect, after the second margarita definitely tipsy Would definitely go back again read more

I mean the food was good but our serve did not understand how to stop the wine coming especially when my father tried to tell him to stop, we spent $80 on wine alone the food was ok but it took to long to get it to our table. read more

Absolutely love this place! The parklet has been a great addition and they did a fab job with the heaters. The food is consistently top notch as are the drinks and servers! Thank you ! read more

Just darn good. After years of patronage though a long break with covid, returning tonight it did not disappoint. Thank you for staying with a good thang, staying a solid great place and not caving in to the trendy BS . Good food, drink and service, that's all I/we need. read more

Prime rib was amazing!!! Limited menu, upscale pricing, and dark atmosphere. You will nearly miss the establishment if not paying attention as it has no signs. Service could've been better but otherwise good food. read more

Brazen Head - Steakhouses Near Me - San Francisco, California

Nice little neighborhood gem and good appetizers. Nice drink selection as well. The atmosphere is romantic/good for a date but also good for friends to catch up on life. The steak wasn't too great - it was medium well not medium rare as we'd ordered, though. We immediately showed the gray meat to the waitress and her immediate response was "it's the light" [lack of]. We assured her that each of us took one bite and the meat was very overcooked, so we asked to send it back. She asked us to just wait till a "more rare piece is cut", which was a bit ridiculous. We proceeded with just more appetizers at that point and some more wine. Overall 4 stars. read more

One of THE best and most hidden, underrated "romantic" restaurants in SF sits on a quiet little corner in Cow Hollow. There are no signs, no bright lights, no frills. It's not your typical Marina-esque spot, because it's not a fist-pumping hotspot for overly tanned people. It's dim, intimate and almost feels like it's from Benjamin Franklin's era. Somehow it's become a pretty routine spot for BF and me, especially since we came here on our first date (although, long story short, I had no idea he intended for this to be a "date"). I've yet to have a bad dish here. The last time we visited, I ordered the beef bourguignon, and it was almost like the time I was in Paris, eating at this hole-in-the-wall French restaurant. The oysters were fresh as well, and BF likes their steak. Great unpretentious date restaurant *cough* hint, guys, hint *cough*. read more

The best thing I can say about this place is that once inside you won't even know you are in The Marina. It's like Heaven surrounded by a privileged, if cursed, Earth. Their burger comes with a side of mashed potatoes. Perhaps you're thinking, "Yeah? And...", but this combination is perfect in its execution, yet rare in my experience. And the French Onion Soup comes with a side of O-face. I bet you could get a strand of melty cheese from this to go out the front door. Note to self: French Onion Soup Cheese Stranding should actually be a contest done for charity and I the events Barry Bonds. By which I mean that I will be on steroids. Steroids made of cheese! read more

The Perfect date spot.... I've been here many times with b/f and friends - it's usually the first place that comes to mind when I want to go out to dinner in the city. The atmosphere is great. Nice low lighting and intimate dining at its best. They've got a full bar as well, the kind of place where maybe those mafia buddies of yours (or mine) would come hang out for a drink - which are strong- ALWAYS. The food is excellent- the meat is cooked just as you order it. The pork chop, veal and filet mignon have all been just right. And, each meal comes with your al dente vegetables and a side starch (usually mashed potatoes). The only downside is that sometimes, my dates have even ignored me because they've been lost in a food orgasm. I've NEVER had to send anything back. I've never had to look around and wonder where my waiter/waitress is. It's pricey - but well worth it. And, it's popular, and they don't take reservations for 2 people but, you won't even mind waiting at the bar while a table becomes available. And, contrary to the first person who reviewed this place - I think it's perfect for a date night. Any guy who takes me here gets MAJOR points in my book. And BOYZ... they even have a TV that is visible from the bar. No major flat panel HD deal but, I could still catch the score from the Warrior game without issue. Anyone want to take me again? I love Lemondrop martinis, raw oysters and veal picatta. I'm free next Friday night if there are any takers. read more

Walked right in on a Wednesday evening; seated immediately. Right off the bat: I'm pleased with the service. Completely unpretentious, genuine, and caring. Off to a good start (that carried over throughout the meal). EATS +French Onion soup: with a blanket of gruyere and mozzarella. The broth was tasty and the onions were delicious. As much as I love my gruyere, (and forgive the blaspheme involved in the following statement:) I just wish there wasn't so damn much of it. My jaw hurt from chewing so much. (Wow, talk about a first-world problem.) +Also ordered a 10-ounce New York strip pepper steak, that came with rice and vegetables. Slightly overcooked steak, but my empty plate signaled little inconvenience. DRANKS +The meal went well with a bottle of red (La Crema). They have $4 bottles of Bud as well as $6 draught beers. Pretty great. Probably not a place to frequent nightly (threw down a hundy for two), but definitely a great place for a stiff drink and juicy meat. Hope you don't confuse the two. read more

I don't know how this place has the rating it does on Yelp. Reading some of the reviews I actually had to make sure I was writing about the same place. This is the mystery of Yelp, I guess. Anyway, this place kind of sucks. I'm sorry, but it's true. I think a large part of my annoyance with it is that I've been to the original Brazen Head in Dublin, and on it's best day this poor shit hole can't hold a candle to that establishment. For starters, the real Brazen Head is a pub. A carriage house, if you want to pick a nit. This version is an overpriced restaurant crammed into a pub space. Seriously, the room was NOT designed for a restaurant, and yet the owner seems hell bent on convincing you that you're at a respectable eatery. To that end, calling it a restaurant is a stretch to begin with. The food was terrible. My penne pasta had ground beef stirred in with Prego on top to serve as Italian fare. My 2 year old niece vomits up more appetizing meals than this place offers. If the food wasn't bad enough, I thought I'd give the bar a chance to set the tale straight. You know, a little redemption. Strike two for the Brazen Head. I ordered a Guiness and they brought me out a less than full glass of beer. Seriously. Like, an inch and half from the top of empty space in my beer. Go to Jail, do not pass Go. If this were a martini, or if we were in a crowded club where the waitress had to weave through people to get to me I would understand the move for sake of not spilling. But the bar is 5 feet away and this is a beer in a pint glass. FAIL. The two stars go to the staff. They were alright. The hostess was pretty prompt in seating us, the waitress was attentive and patient. read more

Dark, quaint, cute little place. Perfect for a late night, date night. Petite Filet melted in my mouth and the Lobster was equally delish. Perfect portion and priced just right at $30. Late night, date night, Brazenhead blazes ahead of the rest. read more

This is a must for anyone close to then Marina and craving a steak. When you walk into this place it feels like you're getting teleported to a restaurant in the middle of the country in Ireland or England. The decoration is really old and has a lot of wood, which creates a pretty warm and welcoming atmosphere. The only reason this place is not five stars is that the tri-tip I had wasn't exceptional although I did try my friend's filet and it tasted great. I was really impressed when I ordered a Redhook and it came in a "proper" (imperial) pint glass. I'll definitely going back here and since it serves food until 1AM it sounds like a perfect late night spot. read more

So boyfriend hates haircuts. (Don't worry, I have a point here). After perilous searching - at the expense of his lovely locks - he finally stumbled upon a hair salon he trusts. Said salon is at Union & Buchannan. So I decide to accompany the poor guy. Finished with the haircut, we wanted to grab a drink somewhere - but where to go? Bar None? Blue Light? Bus Stop? These bars are perhaps the frattiest of the fratty, so... thanks, but no thanks. Good ol' iPhone recommended the Brazen Head. A little hard to find thanks to no sign outside, but this place is fantastic. Old school and friendly ... and the Illy cappuccinos with Baileys are maddeningly delicious. So unless you're dying for jello shots and getting lost in a sea of matching t-shirts reading, "Theta Pub Crawl '09, bitches!", skip the frat houses and hit up Brazen Head. read more

I'm going to say that I loved everything about this place except the hostess. I came here a few months ago for my birthday to try their prime rib sliders. Right when we walked in she shot us a mean look and ignored us for a bit. We came in with a party of four and asked for a table and she said we could wait by the bar. After about 20 minutes, she came up to us and asked if we still wanted a table. Mind you, we didn't even sit at the bar.. we sat on chairs across from the bar. So yes... we still wanted a table. Unless we were just sitting there to chat.. lol. Once we got seated, we didn't have to deal with the hostess anymore and we were kindly served by a gentleman. He was so polite and caring, I just loved every bit of attention he gave to us! Now this isn't some type of romantic setting you can take your date to because it is mostly a bar. The servers though are very professional and will make you forget there are other people around! As for the food: -French Onion soup: BOMB. Love all that cheeeese -Escargot: DELICIOUS. We were skeptical at first because we never really ate snail but this was amazing! -Prime Rib: It was very chewy, but Id prefer the sliders over this. Maybe because I had the sliders first and they were just so so so flavorful and yummy! -Prime Rib Sliders: Oh man.. I'm going to come back for you all the freaking time. read more

Brazen Head - Delicious! - Steakhouses Near Me - San Francisco, California

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---FOR DINNER ONLY----- Came here with a Living Social deal. Small quaint restaurant on the corner which can be easily missed if you're not looking for it. Ordered the peppered steak which was just okay and the french onion soup which was pretty good. Overall, not bad but probably wouldn't come back again. read more

Where else can you get a bonafide pepper steak in the middle of the night? This place is an unbelievable find for late night owls who still want an old-school all-american dining experience. I wish I'd gotten the filet mignon actually, but the waiter recommended the signature pepper steak. I may have inhaled it all... oysters, caesar salad, shrimp scampi, the steak... and anyone else's food if they couldn't finish. If I had it my way I would have also gotten the french onion soup and the crabcakes on top of all of that. God I'm such a porker. I love food. This place just pushes my hedonistic glutton button. read more

In the spirit continuing my steak review trend here we have Brazen Head. It may not be up to the caliber of a Bob's or Alexander's, but this place does serve a very important purpose. Ever have the craving for a good steak, you don't want to cook, you don't want to deal with high prices, you don't want to deal with getting dressed up, you don't want the hassle? You just want a good hunk of no nonsense steak. Well, Brazen Head is your place. Walk in, no reservations, laid back setting, simple menu, open late night until 1am, and the steak entrees come with steamed veggies, creamed spinach, and potato of your choice. Get in, get fed, get out. Go on a Monday and you can get the Maker's Monday Special: it can be either prime rib or new york strip, steamed veggies, creamed spinach, potato of your choice, dessert, and a Maker's Manhattan for 20.10! Dude, really? REALLY?!? Winner, winner, cheap steak dinner!!! Again, the steak is not spectacular, but SOLID. This is definitely the fall back reliable option for steak in the city. read more

This is truly a hidden neighborhood joint, you won't know about it or be able to find this place unless you are a local or someone told you about it. We were in the neighborhood for the block party the owners threw for the benefit of breast cancer. Got there at the end so missed just about everything except the bar and the band was still playing, great band covering a lot of Rolling Stones. When the block party finally wrapped up, we ducked in here to grab a quick bite while waiting for our friend. The joint was packed. It is quite dark inside. Our waitress came to us and took us to a table when we said we just wanted some apps. Still having the wine from the block party, we ordered the half dozen chilled oysters - $12 and ahi tuna tartare - $14. The tartare was served with wasabi, teriyaki dipping sauce and sesame seaweed salad. Interesting and not bad. Cash only. read more

Good place to get a decent meal late at night. This little place is very hidden and incognito--no signage outside, just a green awning. Dark and mysterious in a romantic way, lots of couples here when I came. The food was ok. My friend and I both ordered their sandwiches because it was too late to order anything very heavy. Though the menu was small, it was well rounded. My chicken sandwich was decent, but I've had the same thing other places and it's pretty non descript. Friend ordered the burger and said it was great, and she decided to order it after seeing all the Yelp reviews that raved about it. Maybe their entrees are better options, because I was on the verge of being disappointed with my meal. They don't offer fries here, so you get a little dish of mashed potatoes. These were the weirdest mashed potatoes I've ever had. My friend wondered if they were reconstituted, but perhaps they were just badly made mashed from a box or packet. They had no flavor and I had to season them multiple times before just giving up on them. Fries would've been a better option. I ordered a soda and got a 6 oz glass filled with ice and perhaps 4 oz of very watered down cola. I was never offered a refill, and I didn't want to be charged another $2.50 for MAYBE a half a can of soda. Their water glasses are the size of Dixie cups. Our bread basket was also rather sad. The bread was cut into slices about the width of my fingers and was stale. The herb seasoning on top of the bread was good and I prefer the taste to garlic bread. Our waitress was nice enough, but she seemed very unsure and awkward. Maybe it was her first day, but she didn't seem to know what to do with our table, which was odd, because our order was pretty simple. read more

You might think that it is impossible to have a nice weekend evening out in the Marina, with all the potential for inebriated riff-raff (bros, hoes, cougars, skinny-french-dudes-in-trenchcoats, etc) to hump you or pee on your leg. Ya, you know it ... Well then the Brazen Head is the place for you. It flies under the typical "nightlife" radar and is thankfully "adult" as in "grown-up". It is open late till 1am for dinner and has ass-kicking drinks served up by an older, quintessentially groovy bartender that tells stories. The fare is definitely Steakhouse, but more refined and cozy feel. Also I should mention that they only do debit cards & cash of course. They'll bring the portable debit machine right to your table! 5 Stars!!! read more

Open late? Check. Delicious prime rib? Check. Friendly bartender and bar? Check. Wine? Check. Great food, great atmosphere. Small place so it's not the best for bigger groups. The lighting is dimmer, a perfect intimate spot for you and your date. Service is great - our server was very friendly and welcoming. You have a choice to stay at the bar and have a chill time there or take it to the table for a comfortable, personal experience. Recommended! read more

What brings me to my first ever meal in the Marina? It's a long story, which I trust will become apparent over the next several reviews. Suffice it to say there was a bar crawl afoot, and that means some obligatory pre-crawl pub grub. At a glance, Brazen Head looks like your typical Ye Olde Village Pub that would serve some fish 'n' chips, bangers 'n' mash, and the like. It wasn't until we looked at the menu in the window that we realized that the fare here is a bit more upscale than that. Burgers, salads, and chicken sandwiches aside, it's mostly $20 steak dishes. Eek. But, being a large and not particularly organized group, our inertia carried us inside anyway. It didn't take long for my worries to be put to rest. I couldn't have done the ambiance better myself, right down to the wooden blinds on the windows, and the coziness was especially apt given the Christmas theme of our bar crawl. Given that we were a walk-in group of 7...no wait, 9...no wait, 11...the hostess was extremely adept at seating us (we wound up at two tables, of course, but this was an informal rendezvous, not a banquet). We didn't even have to wait. I even warmed up to the pricey menu in the end, once I saw the pork loin with apple gravy. The pork was as moist as you can really expect from a restaurant, and all in all it was an even more Christmas-y meal than I had bargained for. And the complimentary garlic bread was a welcome surprise. And don't forget that you don't have to eat here; it's a perfectly good drinking stop for any atmospheric pub fan too. I may not be back to the Marina anytime soon, but if I do, I've got Brazen Head tucked away in my book of secrets. read more

The service was friendly and excellent. I had Pino Grigio was quite good. Also I had Osso Buco for the first time! That was really great! So soft, filled with great juicy flavor. It was jut fantastic! I had my anniversary hot date there and it was very romantic. Because it was great dark medium lighting, small cozy place, not too noisy... it was perfect. I realized that all the table setting was kind of random so there is no table right next to us so we had a little privacy in our little table. I think that's why I felt really cozy. So I would recommend this place for anyone who want to have a romantic night...!! read more

Brazen Head is a neat little classy restaurant. I think they need a little work on service though. The food was good...not great. I personally was just slightly disappointed with my meal. I ordered the Veal Picatta. I think it was just because I've had better. I wasn't a fan of the sauce. To our waitress- The band Foreigner says: "She's as cold as ice" It took her a while to talk to us when we sat down. She walked up and just asked if she could get us drinks. Didn't tell us her name, didn't try to offer a appetizer, we had to let her know that we were ready to order. Then she disappeared and another waitress took over. I had to ask for bread after seeing all the other tables with bread. I also had to ask for glasses of water. This should be standard in any restaurant. This place is very small, so I don't see how it could be tuff to wait tables here. I've noticed a trend in service in SF...not that good. My friends food was really good. He had the Prime Rib. In the end, I just feel like I over paid overall. I never mind spending plenty of money on a meal as long as service, food, and atmosphere are good. read more

THIS, my friends, is the way to step out when north of The Fillmore or west of Polk Gulch! Keep it on the down-low... no name on awning (NICE! Keep out the Marina/Cow Hollow riff-raff!) Tuck yourself into a corner (Your choice: Bar or Restaurant. Either is cozy and serves up some damned tasty offerings) Indulge in the ambience (Great service, and your friends will love you for bringing you there. A love-fest all around!) Let a cab wheelbarrow you back to your home in the cooler parts of The City (best not to drink and drive, and despite the geographical coordinates of The Brazen Head it's SO worth a visit) read more

I've been coming here for 12 years, I enjoy a nice supper every time. It is a little hole in the wall, located in the Marina/Cow Hollow district, dimly lit and a bit boisterous, they don't take reservations or credit cards, but if you want a nice late night spot to grab a bite then this gem fits the bill. The drink: Generously poured cocktails, they make a killer Manhattan or vodka tonic. My MIL is an old San Francisco native, she was impressed by how the drinks were poured, "Just like the old days". The food: Amazing! My favorite appetizer is the French onion soup, it's top notch, I am very fussy about a good stock (it makes the soup), and this one is stellar, full-bodied and rich, lots o cheese, broiled to a perfect light golden brown and spilling over the top, and they take the time to properly caramelize the onions for the soup. I usually have the pepper steak, it's seasoned just right and cooked to a perfect medium rare every time. Their petit fillet is also very good. After dinner: dessert & espresso, I'm not a dessert person (more savory pallette) but their cheescake was nice and they make a good espresso. Last notes: If I wanted to take visiting friends/family who are from out of town to a nice SF local joint, this is one of the places I'd take them to. It's a quaint, small local neighborhood joint that has a really nice approachable feel without being stuffy. read more

1 star for my drink. 3 stars for the food and service...for a total of 4 stars...only because of the shot glass they put my Old Fashioned in. Seriously. I've never had a smaller Old Fashioned anywhere else. Nobody serves them this small. LAME LAME LAME They must be Trump supporters. The glass would fit perfectly in his tiny little hands. Follow up: The next day the owner contacted me directly after reading my review. I had initially given a 1 star review, which I will admit was not fair. He also called ME lame for giving them 1 star -- which, honestly made me laugh. I'm in agreement with him on that. It WAS lame on my part. I didn't revise my review to placate the owner either. I revised this review, because the Filet Mignon was very good. The mashed potatoes tasted great. The sautéed spinach was very good. And our server provided good service. And I appreciate a business owner who has no fear calling out a customer giving a bull$#!t review. The customer is absolutely NOT always right, but I'm still not a fan of the Tiny Trumpy Old Fashioned. read more

Jimmy the bartender is the kind of guy that makes you feel very welcome that you just want to come back for more chit chat and a brew. However, brazen head not only has Jimmy as the bartender BUT a FINE PIECE OF MEAT...and if you've read my reviews I love me some fine meat!! The prices are very reasonable and for the quality and taste of the meat you'd think you were cheating Brazen Head... So, not only is Brazen Head in a quiet area, where if you sneeze you might miss it, but it has Jimmy and MEAT (rib eye) and it's so dark that my secret lover and I will not be noticed!!! PERFECT COMBO!! read more

Ahhh... the Head. Such a relief to go to the Head. This one can be dark and loud. Unusual for such a place. But I like it. The service and food are great. I particularly like the Lamb and the Salmon dishes. It appears to be a great place for a drink but come hungry AND drink. It has a casual feel to it. Both times I've mowed here, it was after 11pm. The kitchen always stays open late, like 1am or so. It's good to know the Head is always ready when you need it. read more

This place is hidden with no sign on the front. You must be local to know its there. It closes at 1:00am so it's convenient for those who eat late or go out. I ordered escargots and mozzarella salad. Both were yummy. For dinner I had petite filet and mashed potato. Restaurant is kind of small and they do not take reservations. Martini was good too :-) read more

A San Francisco classic. I have been coming here on and off for years, and not much has changed. It is almost exclusively locals, there is no sign just a bush with christmass lights out front. The food is always of very high quality ( I love the Filet mignon or the Pepper NY steak), and seems super fresh. And What's up awesome hours? I often work later into the evening and the Brazen Head, well they serve full dinner till 1am and drinks till close!! The bartenders are a fixture, Eddie (I believe his name is) knows more about sports than this Giants fan could ever hope. The waitresses (Rebecca is my favorite) are Awesome, best in the biz. The only bummer (And it is not the establishments fault) Is the Drunken, have not left the Frat behind and grown up, D-Bag Marina and Cow H F-tards sometimes mob the place. read more

Great neighborhood bar that 99.99% of the time is full of nothing but locals. I love coming here as an alternative to Balboa and the Brazen Burger is top notch. I love the staff as well, when I used to live across the street and needed some brandy to finish up my cooking dishes - they used to let me buy a shot and take it home!! This is one of the first spots I went to that made me feel like I was livin all secret society-style big time!! ;) read more

I have a love hate relationship with this place. Pros: Loved the old school library feel and dim lighting. Very intimate. Price is pretty resonable for being in the Marina ($22 10oz prime rib dinner including two sides) Cons: Their wait staff is boarder line rude and have a I don't give a rat's a** attitude. The pork chop was so over cooked you can't even chew through it. Pricey wine read more

I've lived in this neighborhood for 24 years, always loved this place, my favorite because of the "no pretense" kinda place it is..you can still shoot the shit with the bartender on a slow night. Great food too...I was sadly disappointed tonight to go in and be treated poorly by the hostess. She was downright rude and full of herself. Our of line comments and by her attitude she must think she's pretty special. We walked out...found a better place on Fillmore. I love this place and I'll go back when miss congeniality is off, but it goes to show you how a front person can fuck your business up...if you didn't know better you would never return. There are a lot of places in the city , no one can afford to be rude to neighbors these days. Good luck with that princess. read more

Went there because of Groupon. Hard to find parking. The place has no name/sign, but we found it thanks to a fellow yelper's suggestion (right across the street from a motel). --Food-- 1) Dungeness Crab Cakes (4.5/5 stars). VERY good. Try this yourself. 2) Ahi Tuna Tartare (4.5/5 stars). Really tasty, not fishy, but chopped into really small pieces. 3) French Onion Gratinee (4/5 stars). Too much cheese, but the soup itself was just right. Not too salty. 4) Mixed Greens (3/5 stars). The leaves looked almost wilted. 5) New York Strip Pepper Steak (3/5). Didn't like the taste. Had to ask for A1 sauce to make it taste better. It's personal preference, but the brandy veal demi-glace cream sauce was not my cup of tea, or my flavor of steak sauce. The steak was just average. Have had better in restaurants with less than four star rating. --Ambiance/Service-- 1) It is really dark, and a little crowded. It's a really small place and the tables seem really small and cramped. 2) It is also really loud in there. It seems that everybody was talking really loud. 3) Service was good overall. We were seated right away, and everybody was friendly and attentive EXCEPT for this one waitress. I thought she was having an off day, and was willing to overlook that, but we noticed that she was giving other tables friendly service. Whenever she got to our table, she would be very serious and very short. We didn't know her, and have never met her before, but it felt like she didn't like us, and was forced to serve us. We even had to flag her down a few times to ask for A1 sauce. The other servers were FRIENDLY, coming by to refill our beverages and bread. Wanted to give this place a higher rating, but the average steak we experienced, and that ONE waitress made our dining experience a forgettable one. If you decide to go there, make sure to try the crab cakes. Do skip the mixed greens and the NY strip pepper steak. ***They only take CASH and DEBIT CARDS. read more

Fantastic food and friendly staff We ordered the filet mignon and it was perfectly cooked Not our last visit read more

My son wanted to have his family birthday celebration here. Upon following instructions on the address, we were confused...where's a sign? Is this the restaurant? I walked in and had to ask a server, "Is this Brazen Head?" The picture on Yelp of the exterior is outdated....it is very plain outside. We had a party of eight in this small restaurant and you cannot make reservations...no worries. We were given our own little spot in the back of the restaurant with small tables placed together. As soon as three of us sat at the bar to wait for the others, I was sent back to "Mad Men".....I looked around and expected to see Donald Draper with one of his girlfriends at a side table. This dark little restaurant has lamps on each table. The bar is classic old San Francisco or something out of an English pub. We enjoyed our cosmopolitans. We all shared the garlic bulb with brie cheese and toasts...very good. I started with a fresh salad and asked for blue cheese. It was good, but could have had more cheese. My prawn scampi was very good. The veggies could have been cooked a little more tender with some sort of butter sauce. For dessert, we ordered the bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. The pudding was very dense and we had to order extra ice cream since the serving was small. Everyone agreed that the food was good. We couldn't believe that they do not take credit cards....so my husband used a debit card (for eight people!). An interesting experience. read more

Ok, you already know they don't take reservations or credit cards. We have been there several times and love the homey neighborhood vibe. Last night wasn't the best experience I've had here. We did get seated right away at 6:45 on a Friday. Surprising but nice! I mentioned to the hostess when we arrived that it was our 10th anniversary. The waitress was very pleasant and attentive, but never said anything about our special occasion, so I assume the hostess didn't tell her. No biggee. The food: escargots was very good, you can always count on these. We both had the special salad, which was arugula with pear and goat cheese. Really good, but not part of the regular menu. My husband had the shrimp and said it was good, not great. I had the chicken marsala and was disappointed. The chicken was dry and overcooked and swimming in sauce. The sweet potato and side veggies were good but not outstanding. Meh. Here's the weirdest part. We decided against dessert, when the waitress came out with a candle on a plate....i mean, just a candle standing upright in the middle of a plate with nothing else on it. Bizarre. They couldn't spare a little piece of cake? We just kind of looked at each other in confusion and amusement and blew the tiny candle out. She shouldn't have even bothered. read more