El Raigon

Best place to get some seriously tasty steak. This is definitely my favorite restaurant at the moment. more

Stepping into this small restaurant feels like sepping off the streets of San Francisco and into a quaint farm house in the hills of Argentina. It would be hard to find place in the city that does a better steak, though the side dishes do not always live up to the excellence of the meat. The staff is very friendly and attentive and always ready with a suggestion from their excellent wine list. Pros: The skirt steak more

We went last night for a special occassion and loved it. Vacationed in Buenos Aires a few years back this place held a special place in our hearts. We felt it was very authentic as far as Argentine style food and taste. The beef was great, Chorizo sausage delicious, sides very good, service and ambiance all top notch. I think most negative reviews of this place aren't aware of what they're in for before hand. Argentina style food overall is much more simple than our versions of things. They don't even usually have pepper on the table - so this was right on and we left very full and happy. We will definitely be back. Love the chimichurri! Pros: unique, steak, service more

Overall, an average dining experience at above average prices. Food was flavorful and wait staff was attentive, however, it was about $190 with tip to eat here and for that price, I could have had a more memorable meal. The Rib eye goes for about $31 but is only an average steak. The best part of the meal was the hostess who was considerate and made you feel like you were her only concern. Everything else was only "ok". Pros: Hostess, Wait Staff Cons: Food, price, noisy, parking more

After reading some of the other reviews for this place, I was a little skeptical. After experiencing El Raigon, I realized that all of the negative reviews were bogus. On a busy Wednesday night, the place was nearly full capacity, but they went out of their way to fit us in. After looking at the menu and the dishes passing by, I could see that the steak was going to be unique. Despite the small size, the flavor was excellent. There is no reason to complain about "only the meat on the plate" because it is a steak house. Go to Ruth's Chris and you'll find the same thing. El Raigon is a great place!!! The food was exceptional in so many ways. The skirt steak and churizo were amazing. The roasted potatoes were a must, along with the asparagus. The wait staff was very friendly and only made quality recommendations. I'm a wine lover and after asking for a recommendation, the waitress gave us a great wine at a very reasonable price. When you want a fun and tasty dining experience, definitely try El Raigon. I would go here again in a split second. Order the skirt steak, roasted potatoes, and a nice fruity Malbec and relax for a great dining experience. more

I actually liked El Raigon. The steak was a 9 out 10 but sides varied. The Empanadas were very good, the squash was excellent, the potatoes were very good, and the spinach was average. All that being said, I enjoyed the meal. I think if they dimmed the lights and did something to create more atmoshphere I would go back and try it again. more

I am the owner of El Raigon. Whoever posted that we are still using Eric Hollis name is incorrect. This is why I need to give the correct information: Eric Hollis opened the Restaurant with us in 2003 and was a great Chef, but after a year he decided to move to Argentina to get married to his Argentine girlfriend. Even though we miss him, he was a great Chef and a friend, we moved on and decided to promote his first assistant, Chef Jeffrey Addington, to Executive Chef. He learned everything he knows under Eric's and my supervision, and he is now an outstanding Chef. We actually got most of our excellent reviews including Zagat 2006, 2007 and 2008, with Jeff Addington in charge, and not Eric Hollis. We are very happy with his creativity and hard work. He has put together the best kitchen team I could have ever dreamed of. Also, after Eric left, we started flying in our grass fed beef from Uruguay, which also improved the quality of our food 100%. Before, we used to serve only Montana beef. None of my employees is giving out wrong info about who our Chef is. If anyone has questions they can contact me at the Restaurant. I will be happy to clarify any misunderstanding. Thank you. CONSUELO LYONNET OWNER, EL RAIGON ARGENTINE ASADO more

Overrated, mediocre service and below average food. The meat was tough, the atmosphere noisy, parking is a hassle and the place reeks of smokey grease from the fire pit. Pros: None Cons: Below average food and very high wine prices for unknown wines. more

I am writing this because my brother Eric Hollis was the original chef of El Raigon. He was the one who put the menu together and pretty much ran that kitchen. I gave it the highest rating for his sake because the food was amazing when he was there. He has worked at 5 out of the top 100 restaurants in the Bay area. Unfortunately he has moved on and now lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has been there for about a year and a half. The problem I have with El Raigon is that they continue to use his name as the chef of their restaurant. We recently found out about this from a family member who called to make a reservation and asked who the chef was and they told them, Eric Hollis. She decided to go in and find out the truth and they told her again it was him but that he was not there that day. Even on their website they feature my brother and show his picture. I noticed also that their website was updated this year but they have kept him on there! This is absurd, and from reading these reviews it breaks my heart that my brothers name is being abused by these people. I have been a vegetarian for 14 years and the only time I have ever eaten meat is at El Raigon when my brother has prepared it for me. I know the beef they got was the best, grass fed, free range and that my brother had a special butcher who cut the beef to his specifications. Argetine beef is cut in a different way than here. It was the best thing I ever tasted. Anyway, I wanted to set the record straight, since he is considering moving back to the u.s. next year. I don't want him to be misrepresented. My family is in the process of fixing this problem and contacting local Bay Area newspaper that have reviewed the restaurant. more

I had been looking forward to eating here for months since i love beef and decided to check it out on Sat. night with my boyfriend and a girlfriend. I was disappointed on all levels. When the waiter came to take our order, and I ordered the Empanadas as a starter, he told me they were out. I was disappointed and told him I needed a moment to think about what I wanted. It would have been helpful if he had told us that info in the begining. We ordered the baked provolone instead and a salad, the lamb, and two rib eyes; one rare(still mooing) and one medium rare. The dipping sauce that accompanied the bread tastied off and just was not good. The provolone was the best thing that we got, the salad had too much dressing and was actually arugala even though it said hearts of palms on the menu. The meat came with nothing on the side so we ordered spinach and asparagus after the fact. They were ok. The two rib eyes were cooked the same and the meat hardly melted in my mouth. It was chewy and fatty. Very disappointing. And when the bill came I almost shed a tear, $50 per person! Oh, and the waiter was not even apologetic about the way the meat had been cooked. For $150.00 I should have just gone to Harris Ranch where I could have been treated like a queen and had an amazing dinner. Never going back to El Raigon and I suggest you never even bother. Pros: Baked Provleta and Herbs is good Cons: Overpriced, bad service, misleading menu, more

I recently went there for a red meat eating friend's birthday. We were disappointed with the food and service. One of our steaks was overcooked, a sin for a place that specializes in steak. The service was below par (i.e. clueless) for the class and price of the restaurant. If you want a great steak with great service at the same price, go to Harris's instead! Pros: rustic atmosphere, beef from Uruguay and Montana, great veggie sides - squash, spinach. Cons: overcooked steak, clueless service, not good value. more

Let's not call this a steakhouse. Tiny cuts of uninspiring meat is what El Raigon is about from a patron's point of view expecting great steaks. My buddies and I, (four meat-eating, red-blooded Americans) went to this place to check it out on late Fri night after a long work-week, hoping for some great steaks on my suggestion as I had saw some positive reviews. I was embarrassed to have suggested this place and needless to say, we will not be going back...for steaks anyway. more

I first found El Raigon 7 or 8 months ago. I have been back at least once per month and consider it a hidden gem. I've tried to walk in several times but have missed out 2 or 3 times because they were sold out. Excellent strip steaks with a little salsa on top, simple mashed potatoes and squash. Lovely Argentine beer and some great Malbecs. High quality enjoyable food and friendly staff. I would ask them to consider turning the downstairs party room, into a second dining room. As for all the complainers, I'd chalk them up to one or two possible bad experiences and the rest competitors trying to knock the place. I will be back for more. Cheers more

I thought the service was acceptable, that is until the waiter brought the bill which revealed $20 in extra wine charges! It was basically obnoxious and I got the distinct feeling it wasn't a mistake but he was trying to see if he could get away with tacking the charge onto my bill. That is something I have never encountered before when paying over $100/2ppl for a meal. The ribeye steak was not the best I've every had. They were out of the tenderloin by 7 PM, which I guess means they never had any. Salad, sides, and wine were good, but for $30 a steak, I expected to not have to chew as much as I did! Won't be going back Pros: wine Cons: wine markup, service, price more

Went to El Raigon about a month ago, based on the glowing reviews of several foodie friends. And once again, they were right! The steak is top notch - be sure to bring your appetite when you go because you won't want to stop. The food is served a la carte, but at the end of the meal, I was shocked at how reasonable the bill was. The reason - our wine, a delicious Malbec called Ben Marco - was priced at a mere $39! The atmosphere inside is warm and inviting - with the brickwork and the open kitchen, you feel nice and cozy inside. You've got to try it! Pros: The steak - its all about the steak Cons: None really. Parking is tough but this is North Beach. You expect it to be tough! more

This place is one of my favorites, although it is not cheap. About $50 pp, with wine. Ribs and skirt steak are great, under $20. Get a malbec wine which compliments very well the food. Not a true argentinean restaurant, but is the closest thing to it in town. Pros: steak, wine Cons: price more

I was very impressed with the food when I dined here a couple of months ago, so I decided to host my sister's 30th birthday dinner here. I booked the private room and everything went perfectly. The food and wine were both fabulous -- there were 10 people in my party and rave reviews from everyone. The only small downside was that our server was not as attentive as I would have liked, however I think that he was just trying to give us our privacy. I would definitely go back! Cons: Parking more

I ate there about a couple months ago and I ordered a skirt steak and it was too salty. I'm not sure if it was from the salt put on the meat or the server's sweat beading down over my table. The hostess looked a little intoxicated when she sat us at our table. I know food and alcohol go hand in hand but not when your on the job . its unprofessional. Other than that i have nothing else to say.... Pros: looks like a party zone only go if someone else is payin for it. Cons: salty meats more

The steaks at this steakhouse are the tiniest in the country -- like the sort of steaks once served as airline food (at least in first class!). You will hardly recognize many regular cuts because of their miniature size. In Argentina as in the US, steak and big are qualities that always go together and are the first measure of an excellent steakhouse. Per pound, this must be the most expensive steak in the country and sadly there is nothing special about the flavor, tenderness, cut or cattle origin -- it is indistinguishable from someting at Denny's. There is a good selection of Argentine wines and some nice malbec, the signature red of Argentina, however wine markups are some of the most egregious in the country. The signature characteristic of most Argentine wines is their wonderful affordability. Yet, this restaurant has taken many of those same wines and priced them as if they were the rarest of French vintages. The establishment has no bar, so only wine and beer is available, no liquor or cocktails. The ambience of the place is a minimalist chic interpretation of an Argentine stable. Service is very friendly and knowledgeable. Patrons seemed to be a dressy, well-to-do crowd. Beware that prices listed on the restaurant's website may not be correct. As of the writing of this review, actual restaurant prices were consistently higher than what is mentioned in the website. Pros: Chic Argentine stable ambience Cons: Miniature, flavorless steaks; highly marked-up wines more

It is just about the only Argentinian restaurant in the city, so if you're the type of person that is willing to try anything once, go for it, but consider yourself warned. I can't vouch for its authenticity (I go to Argentina for the first time in one month) but no matter what, I think I paid 30% too much. Service was OK, but it would have been nice to be served by Argentinians (where are they?). One good thing: Nice wine list featuring several Argentinian/Mendoza Malbecs. I'd say the lack of competition is the only thing keeping this place busy on weekends. Pros: Good wine list Cons: Too expensive for what you get more