I enjoyed a dinner at House of Prime Rib with Jeff. It is on Van Ness and Washington in San Francisco, but be warned, this place is one of the most popular in the City. We couldn’t get dinner reservations until 930P.
Decor: 9
The decor is exceptional, very Old World feeling. The bar is well stocked and comfortable, and booths are numerous enough to accommodate a lot of guests but far enough away that conversations can be lively without interrupting neighbors. The furniture and decorations perfectly match the feel of that the restaurant is going for and enhance the experience. This place would have gotten a 10 if it had a cell phone jammer.
Service: 8
The service was brilliant, everything had the personal touch. We were introduced by name to our waiter and the chef, who cut and served our meat at the table. Don’t bother looking at the menu because it is ultra simple – your choices are how thick you want the cut of your rib, and mashed or baked potato. One thing that detracted was that our server had a thick Russian accent, which I felt was inappropriate. If he had a thick New England or British accent, this would have brought them up to a 10. The dinner check also came out a bit early, a bad habit in California.
Food: 8
The food here is great. The rib was melt in your mouth soft, which is not easy since they cook entire racks at a time. The salad was refreshing and crunchy while still being saucy, another huge plus. The bread was hot and crusty and the cornbread was among the best I’ve ever had. If there is a minus, it would be the side dishes, which were disappointingly mediocre. The mashed potatoes were a bit gooey and the corn was nothing special. Also, the dessert we ordered had a LOT of rum on the bottom. That’s not the best way to end a meal, but maybe that’s the restaurant’s way of saying you should be so stuffed with meat that the dessert can be awful and get away with it.
Ambience: 9
The feel of the place is perfect. Conversations are lively, everyone seems very happy to be there, and the restaurant pulls no punches and isn’t apologetic about being anything other than the House of Prime Rib. This is where you go if you’re a baller and want to drop $40 on a slab of prime rib.
Total: 34/40
Price: $50 per person (drinks, meal, dessert)
Verdict: Easy to see why it’s a San Francisco institution. A well deserved reputation.
if you finish your ribs they give you more!