Stopped by Hillstone for lunch with a coworker since our office is right across the street. We sat at the bar and received great service from the bartenders. We shared the lamb sandwich with broccoli and the crispy chicken sandwich with kale. Both were really good. The lamb wasn't gamey at all, the bread was perfect, and the chicken was crispy and flavorful. Overall, great experience and definitely a good spot for lunch when I'm in the SF office. read more

Hillstone - Lamb Sandwich. - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best French Dip in SF? Nope. It's fine, just not the best. Service was terrible on my trip in. My order was messed up, and once they finally came around to see how things were I let them know about the mistake. No worries, mistakes happen. Once the replacement arrived I finished the entire meal before I saw her again. She was cold and acted like me eating there was an inconvenience for her. You know you work in customer service right? The ONLY reason this isn't a one star review is because of the manager. She came over and noticed something was wrong, I explained the situation and she went out of her way to fix it. Well done. I'm frankly surprised a place could have such lousy servers but such exceptional managers. It's a real head scratcher... read more

Don't eat here unless you support discrimination and rude managers. This is not ok. Take a moment to read my honest and true story. Today me and my wife stopped in for lunch as we have a few times before. It was a warm day in the Bay Area today and we were out walking so I wore a nice sleeveless shirt. It was nice, new and clean. The hostess asked me to cover my shoulders but I said I didn't have anything with me. She sent the manager over. The manager told me no sleeveless shirts for men are allowed in her restaurant. Mind you this is lunch. Not dinner. This is not a super fancy place. Me and my wife were both properly and nicely dressed. I politely told her that I identify as a woman. She said it didn't matter. I said so you misspoke a moment ago and male or female cannot wear sleeveless shirts? She said correct. I looked around and there was a woman behind us wearing a sleeveless shirt. Not nearly as nice as mine or dressed as nice as me. I said ok I will wait here while you turn her away too. The manager then became very rude and said she isn't going to serve me no matter what. I told her are you sure about this and she said yes and asked me to leave. How embarrassing. I have never been turned away from any establishment in my life. Is this not discremenation due to my gender? Businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone unless it is for race, gender or age. I will be contacting an attorney this week. This is not ok. This is not right and I will stand up for my rights and the rights of others. read more

Excellent service. Great patio along the Embarcadero. The chicken sandwich and the french fries were fresh and flavorful. Definitely not spicy so don't be intimidated by the "spicy" kale slaw. I'll be back for sure. The bar area is very nice as well. I'm looking forward to trying the french dip on my next visit. read more

Hillstone - Crispy Chicken Sandwich on the patio. - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delicious French Dip and cocktails! Service is great too. We sat at the bar for quicker service and the bartenders were great! read more

See all

#hillstonerestaurant #hillstone we've been going to R& D restaurant in Santa Monica for 15 years. We're completely loyal customers. I've been getting the Newporter Salad for all these years. All of a sudden the managers refused to address the salad. I've eaten all over the world I've never had a restaurant refused to dress a salad. Ridiculous and very strange digging their heels in. And then my 92 year-old father was upset about it and they were rude to him. We'll never step foot inside another Hillstone restaurant again. They need to retrain their managers and a complete reboot on how to treat loyal customers. When I said to the manager when my father was upset, why don't you bring him some of their homemade cookies they make, he actually said to us "why would I do that". Horrible place. read more

Very disappointed about the service it was terrible we made reservations for a table. We got a booth. The hostess was extremely un polite and extremely rude. The manager on the other hand was extremely nice and very welcoming. Gave us a few things on the house our server oh my God she is new now I'm not sure if she was there to just bother us or if she's really that out of her mind playing stupid it was a terrible experience. This was one of my favorite restaurants and I will not be returning the food was mediocre just OK. The service was two out of 10 and the whole experience were terrible. I'm very very upset that I made my birthday dinner at this restaurant. read more

I love Hillstone, and have been a fan for many years. Even many years ago, before I worked in SF, sometimes I would cross the bridge from the East Bay after work just to treat myself to dinner here. Hillstone is a nice, intimate, relaxing spot on the Embarcadero. A little further on down the road from the main hustle and bustle where the big artery streets and Embarcadero meet, so a bit calmer and a bit easier to find parking around here. In many years of patronizing this spot, I've only had good experiences. Great atmosphere, service, and food. Classic yet modern. Lovely bar area and beautiful booths. Just the right degree of dim, romantic lighting. Always an interesting mix of locals, tourists, and corporate meetings for people-watching. The drinks and food are always excellent. Full bar and a very respectable wine list. Food-wise, we've tried all kinds of things, and everything's been great, but definitely start with the artichokes. For dessert, the chocolate pot de crème is a must. Get two or three of these, don't be shy, and you can thank me later. I don't believe I've been to other Hillstone locations, but you can't go wrong with this one. Before or after, you can take a walk along the beautiful SF waterfront. Enjoy! read more

See all

Hillstone is hands down my husband's and my favorite American restaurant. Every time we visit the food is consistently delicious and we always leave happy with whatever we order. Our favorite appetizer is the grilled artichoke. It's seasonal which is a little sad when it's not available, but it's absolutely worth the wait when it comes back on the menu. We love the char flavor . The service here is consistently excellent. The restaurant is also very clean and has a great atmosphere, making it a really nice place to relax and enjoy a meal. Overall, Hillstone never disappoints. It's one of those places we can always count on for great food, great service, and a great dining experience. read more

See all

We are local, but we had friends visiting from out of town and we're going to do an Alcatraz night tour. I didn't want to go to any of the crowded touristy places in the fisherman's wharf area. Found this place online and it had good reviews, I really love this place. Really nice upscale but casual vibe, polite and friendly service, and all the food was excellent. My group had the burger, the spinach artichoke dip, a chicken sandwich, and the French dip. All was delicious! I don't think we needed our reservation, but I'm glad we had one. Definitely check this place out. read more

Hillstone - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Hillstone is a favorite among Telegraph Hill locals. My go-to's here are their French dip or lamb sandwiches for lunch, and salmon or rotisserie chicken + artichoke for dinner. Good wine and cocktail selection from the bar. I would pass on their burgers though which are mediocre. What makes this place 5-stars is the service and ambiance. Some of their staff have been there for several years, which is a testament to how well the restaurant is run. Since it's along the Embarcadero and close to Fisherman's Wharf, a lot of tourists tend to wander in. And this is probably why their website says there's a strict dress code. But I feel comfortable coming here in shorts and a t-shirt. The staff is always welcoming. I also go to the Los Altos Grill which is the same restaurant as Hillstone. The menu is pretty much the same, but the service at Hillstone is just excellent. read more

The location in Santa Monica is better. This one doesn't have sushi. And they rush you out / take your coat to the front when you briefly step away from the table. The traditional salad is good. read more

Since I live very close by Hillstone has fast become a favorite for lunch and dinner with friends and neighbors. So when my family from England visited I was excited to book dinner here with them. I am shocked, disappointed and embarrassed to tell them that we cannot eat at Hillstones because they don't take reservations for parties of 5 or more (we are 6 adults) . I asked if we could put 2 tables together and was told "we don't do that" . In addition to this review I will be sure to post on multiple platforms and spread the word to my neighbors not to expect to entertain their families at the closest restaurant to our homes. read more

this place has my all time favorite french dip to ever exist. it's so yummy and the meat literally melts into your mouth. my husband and i ALWAYS have to share the french dip, so we also decided to split the hawaiian steak. it was cooked perfectly medium rare and had the best flavor. spinach artichoke dip is also usually a go-to for when we come to this restaurant. can't wait to come back for another sandwich LOL read more

See all

Our foursome came by for a work lunch. Made an easy reservation. Received a friendly greeting at the hostess stand and we were seated immediately. Our host took our drink order and our server arrived shortly after. Can't recall his name... Niall? He was friendly and enthusiastic. We ordered deviled eggs, chicken meatballs, and spinach artichoke dip as starters. Heard that the Prime Rib sandwich was the best ever, so 3 of us ordered that. Our outlier got the fried chicken sandwich. Appetizers were tasty. My prime rib sandwich was everything my coworkers said it was! The meat was medium rare and sitting on a toasted roll with a slather of creamy horseradish. The meat was tender and flavorful. Our drinks were refilled quickly and service was excellent. It's on the pricey side but it's a good place for lunch or dinner. You get what you pay for. read more

See all

Horrible experience. We had our kids with us they refuse to let us sit in a booth together they made my wife sit at a table away from my son and I. Did not make us feel welcome. Food is mediocre at best at a premium price. Save your money and go somewhere else. Very disappointing. Overpriced. read more

The manager of this Hillstone in San Francisco, Rosa Kim, was beyond rude to my family from the minute we entered. She gave us glaring looks and approached my family several times throughout the night because we had a toddler with us. Our child made some noise at times but was not excessive or behaving badly. They were always with us and never ran around alone or unsupervised. Honestly, my 2 year old acts better at restaurants than most adults. At one point Rosa Kim asked my toddler to sit down in the booth we were sat at because they did not have another seating solution. They are two feet tall. They could not reach the table when seated and no other patrons could even see they were standing up in the booth. The manager, Rosa Kim then told me how my child should behave in front of my child and family. To try and belittle a child who doesn't understand their own behavior in front of them is beyond disturbing, especially one who when we were approached wasn't doing anything wrong. She seemed bothered that we were just there with him from the get-go. It was wildly uncomfortable for my family and I. I am just glad my child was not old enough to understand what was happening. When I calmly tried to discuss this with her she continued to get angrier and ruder with our party to at which point we asked her to just let us eat our meal before things continued to escalate. If you don't want kids or families at your restaurant that is fine but don't make us wait for a table for 30 minutes then be rude to us as if it wasn't known we have a child. Put it in your "policy" if you want to be that snobby. But to berate my family during a 6:00 dinner on a Sunday is absolutely uncalled for. Furthermore, if you have something to say about a kids behavior, never do it in front of the child. It's not your place to ever tell my child or anyone for that matter how you think they should act. Instead of trying to diffuse the situation, Rosa Kim continued to try to engage with us aggressively and with anger. On top of that- Rosa Kim, made such a stink about our family having a child with us she must have been too busy staring rudely at our party the whole night to notice all the other patrons who did not follow their "dining guidelines" including all the people wearing Giants jerseys and athletic wear. Oh and the dog in the restaurant which breaks more health code violations than they could even dream of. As members of the community here in SF and as a parent, I would have hoped to be treated a little better than the way we were so poorly attended to. Our waitress was fantastic and honestly seemed a little bothered by the way the Manager, Rosa Kim, handled the whole night with our table. In a place with a giant bar, tvs playing that serves overrated bar food, you should either live up to your own standards and be something better than a glorified Applebee's or drop the whole trying to be too good for anyone act. I truly hope you talk to your manager and reprimand them about this incident and how it was handled. It was an awful experience and one I hope doesn't happen to anyone else who brings a child there. read more

This is a hard review to put stars on. The food is pretty good, most being 4+ stars. The value/price point is dragging the rating down. 1.5 deviled eggs for $8 (3 halfs) - those were ok - don't feel bad on skipping these 3 pieces focassia bread with some olives, butter etc for $9 - it's good but, it's just 3 small pieces of bread French dip for $32 - actually really delicious and highly recommended for those that love french dip. melt in your mouth and delicious. for a french dip it's 5/5 Ding's chicken sandwich for $27 - kind of like the Burger King chicken sandwich but, better. Not $20 better though Portion of fries that come with the order are on the smaller side. Cole slaw was unique and not traditional - personally I liked it. Service fluctuated but, was overall good. The prices seem a tad bit high but the food is good. read more

See all

hillstone is a 4 for two things and two things only, everything else is call it a 3. menu is small and the only two things i'd return back for is the artichoke dip and the hawaiian steak. comfort food great service good vibes. nevertheless haven't had another marinated steak as memorable so yes ill be back another time read more

Hillstone - creamed corn, lamb sandwich, The Hawaiian - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I live in LA and go to a lot of the Hillstone locations in SoCal but this location is one of my favorite. The lay out, the lighting, the service is always so good & everyone is always so kind. I also never have an issue getting seated immediately. Get the crispy chicken sandwich, spinach dip or the ribs! read more

Talk about a menu! I don't know how this place does it but, their menu caters to so many cravings and cuisines. We enjoyed steaks that were cooked perfectly but, I've heard their French dip is a start on the menu as well. Great ambiance, moody, and lovely service. If you're looking for a great meal along the Embarcadero, Hillstone is a SF gem. read more

Came here with three friends and honestly Hillstone SF was giving mid. We had a Hillstone burger with fries, two crispy chicken sandwiches, and a flat iron steak with drinks. Food was fine. Service was just okay. Nothing to rave about. Then came the bill, 143 total. Easy split, right? Wrong. They charged 151 on one card and 145 on the other. First of all, math? Second, their excuse was "it's a system glitch." Yeah, sure. If it was a glitch, the charges would at least be consistent. This was just sloppy or shady, take your pick. The only reason we even caught it was because one of us noticed the charge was too high. Makes me think they bank on corporate folks or tipsy diners who don't double check. Moral of the story: if you go, watch your bill like a hawk. Food is not worth the headache anyway. read more

Hillstone - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Hillstone is the perfect mix of casual and elevated for any occasion. There are plenty of tables of booths inside - remember to make a reservation ahead of time! The noise level is average as there are a lot of people that come by for dinner. I tried the crispy chicken sandwich and it was great! It's a big portion and the bread is soft. One thing I would comment on is the chicken itself - while it does have a nice crispy texture and isn't soggy, I think it needed just a pinch of salt. Also, the sandwich is pretty messy to eat as the ingredients tend to fall apart with each bite. I wish the cheese was melted as well. The sautéed broccolini was also cooked perfectly. Similar to the chicken though, this also just needed a pinch of salt. However, if you don't mind that, I still recommend trying it! Overall, I recommend bringing friends, family or coworkers here if you want a place with lots of options that can accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences. read more

Hillstone - Crispy Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been a regular here for many years. It was our very favorite restaurants. But today is our last visit there. For some reason, they decided to change their most popular French dip sandwich to a much smaller size, at least a third smaller and less meat. It is a very expensive sandwich that we were happy to pay for. When you are running a very high quality and expensive restaurant, you don't just cut the size down at least 1/3 and even less meat. You can raise your prices even ridiculously higher, but don't cheat the customers out of what they usually order. Very disrespectful to your faithful customers. read more

Food: when it's artichoke season, make an entire meal of one, no regrets, paired with a dirty martini and French fries and call it a day. So satisfying. For those desiring meat, the French Dip sandwich is consistently satisfying. Service: waitlist moved quickly, attentive service. Ambiance: comfortably clubby without being stuffy indoors, the horseshoe bar is where we will try to sit next time, there is also a small outdoor patio which diners were enjoying during a recent warm weekend. read more

Hillstone - French Dip with Au jus. Perennial favorite. - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Hillstone offers a pleasant dining experience in a great location, making it a convenient spot for lunch or dinner. The atmosphere is inviting, and the staff was attentive, friendly, and provided excellent service throughout our meal. We started with the artichoke dip, which was enjoyable but fairly standard. For $24 artichoke dip was far from with it. The steak was ok and had good flavor. However, considering the price, the portion and overall value didn't quite align with expectations, it didn't feel like the meal justified the premium cost. Overall, Hillstone is a nice restaurant with excellent service and a great location. Although the food was ok, I felt the value could be stronger given the pricing. read more

Our meal last week was so good, we came back for brunch. The food and service remain excellent. We had foccacia $9, roasted artichoke $25, salmon $39, traditional salad $12, Hawaiian rib-eye steak $62, lamb sandwich $27 key lime pie $14. The more we come here, the more we appreciate Hillstone's food. We noticed they bake their bread here. From the foccacia to the burger buns, it is all made in house. It was the little things like cheese filled tomatoes that come with the foccacia dish with the olives. They open at 11:30am and all the seats quickly filled up. Good times. read more

We are on vacation and this is day 3. Yea, it is all about location, location, location. That's about it here. Well, the inside looks nice and dark. We sat outside. Took a while to get our orders. Then the waitstaff wrote down the wrong information so 2 of our orders were wrong. We just lived with it for the most part. It took a while to get the waitstaff's attention when we needed to leave for the Alcatraz tour. Prices are high (even compared to there places at the warf) and the menu is small. I guess you can do that when you are in prime location. read more

See all

Skip it. The food was very good, the attitude of the hostess made us feel like they didn't want us there. They won't seat parties of over 5 together-fine, they've got nice booths. Then they said "please don't move around so we can get the right food to you" which, like fine but that's not the reason they didn't want us to move. You're aiming for a hoity toity atmosphere, we can move plates around. There's an obnoxious but unenforced dress code (no jerseys then someone came in with a jersey and was as seated, no baseball hats...), but the straw that broke the camels back was when the hostess asked me to stay seated while I was seated. My 4 year old needed entertainment as we were paying the bill, we were in our last few minutes there and she told me that I had to stay in my seat. Which I was. They didn't get the order right for said 4 year old: hamburger, no cheese. Showed up with cheese. If you don't want kids in your restaurant, just turn people away. But also you're on the Embarcadero, not in a fancy neighborhood. Overpriced by 20%. read more

Ordered the Asian Noodle salad, the Steak and loved everything. Sean, our waiter was very professional and helpful. The ambiance of the restaurant is great, location is perfect. And they do have inside/outside dining spaces. read more

See all

Service was EXCELLENT Thank you Cindy G and all her associates The whole place was clean, refreshing and quiet. Food was perfect in every way. read more

See all

Enjoyed a lovely lunch at the bar. Service is always kind and attentive. We enjoyed martinis, salads and the chicken sandwich. The Hillstone restaurant group really has it all figured out-the setting, service and menu. Sadly, this was likely the last lunch for awhile as I'm moving out of state soon. Hillstone, thank you for all the memories! read more

See all

This place feels like stepping back into the simpler times of 2014 - amazing, kind, genuine service and no one on their phone. The atmosphere has great acoustics, not too loud but a low hum of activity. The flavor on the food was spot on. What a gem! read more

The is was my first visit to Hillstone in San Francisco and I was wowed! We had to change our reservation a few times and host Rohini was very friendly and accommodating, starting our experience off right! Once seated we were greeted by the manager, Henry, who offered suggestions from the wine list and allowed us several small tastes before we went with his recommendation on an absolutely delicious bottle of wine. Our server, Monique, was friendly, attentive, and professional. Service was efficient and aesthetically pleasing. I have to say that I had the French dip sandwich I ordered was the best I have ever had and I am already planning my next visit to have another one! Monique's recommendations for side dishes and accompaniments was also spot on. The ambience and wallhangings included Navajo blankets and nautical flags and it was fun to see the food prep area and active kitchen. I can't say enough about this location and will definitely be back. It is one of my new favorites in San Francisco! read more

After walking by this place so many time, decided to give it a try, so thought I'd share an honest opinion of this place. Candidly, it's old timey and overpriced for what you get. Ambiance was dark, service was good, but Food was subpar and simple. Basics with extra fried foods and three basic flavors, salt, sugar, fats. Seems popular with out-of-towners (got some odd looks for some reason) who want a night out in the city. I'm sure there are people who enjoy this type of place, but as someone who enjoys good food and likes to dine out, there are much better places even walking distance. Hillstone is not for me. read more

We decided to share a Caesar salad to start and then tried the flat iron steak and the cheeseburger. Everything was good overall. The steak was tender, though not particularly exceptional, while the cheeseburger was flavorful and very generous in size. What stood out most was the outdoor seating area which was comfortable and enjoyable. It made the whole experience pleasant and worth the visit. Service was very good. read more

See all

Anica decided to kick us out because we (2 men) were in tank tops. Meanwhile there is no ac it's unseasonably warm and there are multiple ladies in tank tops. Anica informed me that policy applied to men only. read more

There's truly nothing I love more in this world than a sexy, dimly-lit restaurant with frosted dirty martinis (bonus points if they have blue cheese olives!). Hillstone has both and one of my favorite appetizers ever - artichoke dip, hello!! Hillstone has become one of my go-to spots to bring any old person who visits me - parents, grandparents, etc. It's just perfect for everyone. I love myself the French dip (with grilled onions on the side), the shrimp cocktail to share, and many-a extra dirty martoons! It's the best place to go, especially when someone else is treating you aka your honey! read more

See all

We dined at Hillstone for dinner. I've been here MANY times and to the sister restaurants as well. I love the feel and ambiance of this place. It's all dark wood and plush. It's got an open kitchen and a wood fired grill. It smells good and feels somehow chic to me. We brought our own wine (corkage $25) and they were happy to serve it to us. Our server told us about the specials and we ordered two of them; crab cakes and grilled artichokes. The crab cakes were outstanding. Both hubs and daughter thought they are among the best crab cakes they have ever eaten. Highlight of the evening. Ironically, the crab was not local. The grilled artichoke was also really a nice change of pace. It was wood grilled, so it had a smoky, wood flavor. Delicious. The mains were good as well, although not as good as the starters. Daughter's kale salad was good, but had no sweet element, and she felt it was acidic, acidic, acidic. Apples, pears, or dried cranberries would have been appreciated. I ordered a Santa Fe Burger and forgot to photograph it. I really don't have anything good to say about this item. I wouldn't recommend ordering it. Maybe it was a bad night, but the burger came with two cheeses on it, and neither of them melted because the burger wasn't warm enough to melt them. And if the pattie was supposed to be served almost cold, it was a bad decision. Hubs ordered the knife and fork ribs and said they were baby back ribs without a lot of meat on them. Consequently, the sauce ratio was off. Sadly, he commented that those ribs were no better than Chili's. Ouch. Service was good throughout the evening. Attentive, well paced, thoughtful. I hate to give Hillstone a 3 star review. I love this place, but this was not an experience I would hurry to repeat. read more

See all

Joseph was absolutely amazing tonight! He took great care of both me and my sister, and his service truly stood out. He was very attentive, honest about the food, and gave excellent recommendations--not just for dishes, but for drinks as well. Everything he suggested was spot on, and we both really enjoyed our experience. He made us feel comfortable and taken care of the entire time. I wouldn't mind having him as our server every visit to Sista OK! If you're planning to dine there, I highly recommend requesting Joseph--you won't be disappointed. read more