Hillstone

The grill here is bar none, everything that comes out of that kitchen is fantastic, and alot of it is an ode the hickory and the fantastic kitchen staff. The last time I went it was Houstons so I was happy to taste that the name was only thing to change, although I had never been for lunch before, which just goes to show it's good no matter what time of the day you go. Granted it is on the pricier side, so it's a great place for a special occasion or a date-nite, especially if you want to impress someone, being right there along the embarcaderro but once you start eating you'll forget all about that. more

I would call Houston's one of my regular spots.Whether I want a drink, have company from out of town or dont' feel like cooking, it pops up in my mind. I remember the first time I tried Houston's in SF. I was wandering around the Embarcadero area trying to deliberate were to eat. All of a sudden(yeah..all of a sudden), I smell smoke. Not like SF is on fire, but like someone is stroking a well maintained outdoor grill of the hickory kind. I turned in the direction of the tainted air & see smoke, beckoning me, like a hand to follow.(okay, I may have been hullicinating from hunger)but I did follow the scent. I come across people standing around an outdoor fireplace happily sipping their beverages & sampling some appetizers. I reach the door in a dreamy state, but manage to read the "NO CORKAGE FEE" words on th door. Unheard of for SF!! The smells coming out the door make me want to hop behind the cooking counter and bury my face in something!! My first meal was prime rib, mashed potatoes and their grilled artichokes. Followed by their evil brownie dessert. Not to mention a pretty neat classic sidecar!! I have had many meals over the years. It changes periodically or based on seasons. I would have to say that the meals are always comforting, the indoor fireplace w/ nearby booths are a fave sitting area, on the weekends there is a jazz trio, & you can always sit at the bar to watch sporting events if thats your thing. Also, the service has always been friendly & cordial. One server, who was doubling as sommelier actually sat with us one evening to taste our bottle of wine. Side point, if you are vegetarian, you will find a great meatless selection!! Pros: You can smell the smoke frm the grill as you park the car! Cons: Having to wait for your food as your mouth waters more

Great food...had the halibut and it was perfect. Had a waiter that could have been more attentive, but that was the only thing that kept my rating from a 5. more

Ok, whoever rated houston's 2 stars obviously did not eat the ribs. It is possible that Houston's other dishes are 2 star quality... but I've never... more

There were 4 of us for lunch for our first time, and it was the best, both food and service, there was always someone there to see if we needed anything, and our drinks were refreshed with another glass as soon as it was empty. We meet once a month, and this place will be a repeat. more

This is not a super upscale place and they ask you to take off your hat in the dining room which is stupid. I agree with the other reviewer in that the hostess was not polite but more important our wait staff was less than interested in serving and aloof. My $17 salad was with greasy chicken and not tasty. I won't be back and the portions are not what they use to be. more

EXTREMELY UPTIGHT HOSTESS AND MANAGER. Both are black and very uptight and stupid. And I am not against black people. The black hostess who looks like Condoleza Rice and who works on Friday night is extremely uptight. I am a man and I was wearing a hat. and she told me men could not wear hats in this restaurant although women could. I told her that was a sexist policy. I asked if the policy was in writing. The hostess babbled something about Houstons being named after Houston Texas and in the 1850's men in those days took off their hats. I am from Texas and she failed to mention that in Texas in the 1850's blacks were also slaves. The hostess then called the manager who told me if I did not do as the hostess said then I should leave. I pointed out that women were wearing hats and that they were being served. I also said to the manager that is a sexist policy. The manager said even more stupid things too stupid to repeat and then I walked off. I wanted to leave but my friends said let's defy the restaurant and stay. We ordered less than we would have though and our evening was pretty much a downer. I could see the uptight hostess telling the other hostesses what had happened and as we left one of the white hostesses with little to do said to me condescendingly, Thank-you for everything. I said to her and her attitude, **** off. If you want a completely irrational hostess trying to make you over into her idea of 1850's Houston Texas with an equally stupid bumbling manager who can't see the idiocy in anything then by all means put this dump as a must see on your list of San Francisco experiences. If you want to be treated with respect and dignity and reality then avoid this place at all costs. more

i've dined at houstons only TWICE and i absolutely love it! The only thing i hated was that everytime I've been there it takes forever to get seated and its EXTREMELY dark inside!! It tends to get really loud when its busy.. but they were so sweet and gave us complimentary french fries while we were waiting.. The food is delicious and the service is always top notch.. This is by far my fave restaurant in the city if you are out with friends or even on a date and the food is just the bomb!! Pros: the food =) yum. & good place to drink at the bar with friends. Cons: gets really busy and too dark inside. more

Packed on a Thursday night around 9pm, and were told 45 min wait by the friendly hostess, which was fine by us, since we weren?t quite hungry yet. Stood at the bar, cocktails while waiting. Half hour later we were seated down from the bar side, so unfortunately we couldn?t see the fireplace or hear the live jazz at the other end. Noise level very high, but very nice layout, so we were still able to have an intimate dinner. Cajun snapper (kinda plain, but cooked well) with baked squash (VERY tasty), and the best french dip I?ve had anywhere, stuffed with tender pink beef. Would have liked just a bit more au jus, but minor point. Hubby even liked it. Apple walnut cobbler (?) was great, even if there was waaaay too much fresh walnuts in it, easy to pick off,. Everyone was so friendly, service was attentive. more

Houston's has great ambience and great food, but expect to wait for about an hour if you plan to go there on a weekend night. You can make reservations for small parties, so I suggest that. The good is pricey, but good. I highly recommend the hawaiian ribeye! Pros: Good food, good ambience Cons: Parking and long wait. more

Whenever my parents come to town, it is a dilemma. They are the small town, salt of the Earth types who want straighforward dishes served in a comfortable setting. Most of the SF restaurants I love are too small and too chi-chi for their style. Houston's to the rescue! Everyone loved it, including my hard-to-please parents. Of course they ordered the ribs. But, Houston's isn't just for those parental visits - I like to go there on a Sunday, sit at the bar, have a glass of wine and order their hacked chicken salad. You can watch the game, and look out onto the Embarcadero and watch the world go by. Pros: Great atmosphere Cons: The meters nearby! 25 cents only gets you 7 minutes, so bring lots of change. more

I try to come here once every few months. It starts with the friendly hostesses and well-trained service, then there's waiting for your table, either outside with a drink and warm fireplace, or inside at the bar at cozy tables. The seating is mostly plush booths with another fireplace in the back of the dining room and live (non-obnoxious) jazz at certain times. The lighting (artichoke lamps!) and dark wood interior are romantic and create a super warm and comfortable environment. The food is super rich and flavorful, while not being too much of a good thing. This is one place that always puts me in the mood for a nice sultry glass of red wine. A favorite I've taken everyone out to at some point. Pros: ambience, food. they brought back the casual black attire for the waitstaff! Cons: occasionally overly young nervous female waitress more

I'm a vegetarian and was in San Francisco in Jan 2005 loooking for a veggie burger. Heard good thing's about Houston's so wandered down one night at around 7.30....only to find the placve packed. The young waitress told me that teh wait would be an hour or so, but as I was leaving said she could squeeze me in. I declined the offer, instead heading to a nearby irish bar for a few pints before returning around 9. The veg burger was flame grilled and sensational and teh service top notch. The place had quitened a bit and the staff were very friendly and chatty - with plenty of ideas for placed to go in the city. Cons: busy - need to book if dining around 7ish more

Great restaurant with a good bar scene. Hey the outside patio isn't bad either. The food at Houston's is always top notch and the portions are generous. You might be interested to know that they don't charge a corkage fee! That's big news in this city where even the real local spots want to charge. So bring your favorite bottle of wine. The bar is a great place to eat. You won't be along as most of the patrons at the bar are eating. Pros: great servers who all work together, bar, food Cons: parking can be a bit of work more

We tried to go here for lunch but were refused because only 3 of our 4 were present, even though it was quiet and there were many empty 4-spot tables. Hostesses refused to budge, flying in the face of common sense, blindly adhering to "our policy" and dripping with pretense and a cold attitude. Customer service obviously takes a back seat to self-importance of the waitstaff here! Pros: Food looked good Cons: Surly hostesses more

Those are a few word I would use to describe Houston's. I've been going there for over 6 years and consisently get great food. Spinach Dip- Perfect Prime Rib Sandwich- Awesome The Ribs- Fall off the bone tender Drinks- a little pricey but worth the money This is an all around great place that doesn't disapoint. Thu, Fri, Sat nights are a little tough to get a table. Pros: Outside wood fire, Consistancy, Great Food Cons: None more

Went for lunch on Sunday. Good steak, artichoke appetizer was great. Nice little place. Definitely recommend it. Nice selection at the bar. Nothing bad to say about it. I ordered the filet mignon which was very good but I also tried some ribs from my sister's plate. The ribs were very good and fall off the bone. Pros: Service, Bar, Filet Mignon more

I went to Houstons last night for dinner. I have been going to Houstons for many years. The Houstons in SF is by far the worst I have ever been to. The wait staff is rude and fake. And they are not even good at pretending they like you. They act as if they are working at Chez Panis. Get a clue it is a chain restaurant with decent food. Anyway, last night won the award for the worst service with rude to top it off. I have to give props where they are deserved; the artichokes and spinach dip are the perfect nosh food. Entries are decent. Anyway, I DO NOT recommend the Houstons in the SF area unless you are going to eat appetizers and amuse yourself with how the wait staff must be overcompensating for lack of self-esteem. more

I was here a couple of months ago for dinner with my parents and we got lucky with getting seats quickly. The restaurant was extremely noisy but it would be a cool place for happy-hour. I had the ahi tuna salad and was delighted with the flavours. On the other hand, the prime rib that my dad ordered was not very good. It was overcooked and not tender enough. If you need to wait for a long time to get a table, not worth it. But if you're just strolling around Embarcadero and looking for an office-casual place for an early dinner, then go for it. Pros: Happy Hour, Ahi Tuna Salad Cons: Steak, Too Noisy more

First of all they don't let you make reservations, once you get there you have to wait 30 minutes to an hour plus. I've tride this place more than once hoping for better results. It's really not worth it. The waitress' take forever to take your order and by the time you get your food it's cold, which doesn't make any kind of sense for the price that you pay. They say they don't take phone orders but i've done it before and I think they are bias as to who they let place these orders. I just wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. You're better off going across the street or eating on the pier. Pros: NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING Cons: WAIT, SERVICE, COLD FOOD more