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

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

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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

What a weird restaurant Hillstone is. Filled with East Bay-looking white people, this restaurant specializes in serving up the most mid versions of 1990s food while managing to deliver the most lackluster and low energy service on earth. I've heard that servers here are limited to three tables at one time so that they can offer unprecedented service. Seems strange that our waitress showed up to take our order and then had other people deliver the food. We didn't see her again until late in the meal, long after we had all decided that dining at Hillstone was a huge mistake that we would never again make. French Dip 2/10 - small portion, the roast beef was mealy and gross Spinach Artichoke Dip 1/10 - another small portion with large chunks of coarse artichoke leaves floating about. No flavor. Ribs 3/10 - it's hard to screw up ribs but Hillstone sure did it. I don't want to get into it. Just don't get the ribs. Water 1/10 - Would it kill you to add ice to this most basic human offering? Overall Rating: 2/10. But if you live in Walnut Creek it's probably a 7/10. 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

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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

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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

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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

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

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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

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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

Outstanding in every way!!! Mr. Taujvy was incredible! Complements to the chefs' creative options! Excellent staff support! We all felt welcomed and appreciated!!!! read more

The hosts are very unfriendly and non accommodating, at 1:30 PM on a Friday, they will not seat me and my wife for 20 minutes when seating others immediately, the restaurant is clearly only 70% full at this hour of the day. When I asked for to go order, again there were nobody helping to take order, the host came in 10 minutes late. After I got the to go order, trying to just eat outside the restaurant where there is empty chairs. The host went out immediately as us not to dine here and leave. For a up class restaurant, this is clearly not the way to treat customers. I have dine in before, the waiters service were good. but clearly the hosts are very non accommodating and unfriendly. u WILL lose business because of how u treat ur customers. 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 were greeted and sat with no issues. Restaurant itself is nice, probably mostly business casual. I was asked to remove my hat (SF Giants), which I was surprised about since I saw many others wearing caps. The others to my surprise were not asked to remove their caps. I'm not white. I did not stay and left. I would not recommend this place. read more

Really good food!!! BBQ Ribs are wonderful - tender with a wonderful BBQ Sauce. My entire family loves their French Fries. If you like Artichoke, then you will be in for a treat - the grilled Artichoke is superb. The Hawaiian steak is another one of my favorites - the flavor is wonderful. There is a wonderful assortment of desserts - my favorite is the key lime pie. They have a small outdoor dining area that is relaxing and includes heaters if the weather gets cool. The service is excellent - I have never had a bad experience. read more

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

The whole experience was very good. We had a party of 5 and they were able to accommodate us with a small wait. The hostess was very welcoming and the waiter was great. The food was so good. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Last night we had Hillstone's delicious grilled artichokes, French dip, and Barbecued ribs dishes. Food was delicious and service was great. Mike and Allyson read more

I was able to grab a table for 2 as a walk in with only a 20 min wait at 6pm on a Saturday. I was excited to check this spot out as I'd heard good things. The inside was reminiscent of old-school classic restaurants with big leather booths, an open kitchen, and dark lighting. They have a bar as well which you can sit at in the front. We got the spinach and artichoke dip which also came with sour cream and salsa and tortilla chips. The salsa was nothing to write home about but the spinach and artichoke dip was delish and super cheesy! For entrees we got the French dip sandwich and Ding's crispy chicken sandwich. I'm not sure who Ding is but it was a dang good sandwich! It came as three cut up sandwich pieces which amounted to more than a regular sandwich size on a fresh brioche bun. There was a kale slaw, cheese, and I think a honey mustard type dressing. Chicken was super thin and crispy and had a flavorful breading. I got the fries as a side which came with ketchup and an aioli. The aioli just tasted like straight up sesame oil though which was odd and off putting (and I am a HUGE sesame oil fan). The nice thing is you can choose any side you want! French dip was sooo good. It's actually thinly sliced prime rib and it doesn't look like a big portion but my partner said it was quite filling. It comes with au jus and an incredible horseradish dip which I dipped my fries in! He got the kale salad as a side and that had some interesting peanuts and peanut vinaigrette. Service is beyond friendly and our waitress was super nice. You can even request hot towels at the end! Also, halfway through our dirty martinis they switched the glasses out for a new ice cold glass which I had never seen done before. Pro tip- get the goat cheese stuffed olives for your martini! Looking forward to coming back! 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

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Dropped into hillstone with my family today for lunch after a tour of Alcatraz (which docked directly across the street) Mind you this is for LUNCH in a very touristy area, however we are local, and were very well dressed, albeit casual. We sat down and the hostess proceeded to tell my son and I that we would need to take our hats off "in the dining room." Mind you again this is lunch, the restaurant is full of kids and tourists. Take aback a bit my son and I took our hats off to reveal the hair you would expect from 2 people that just came off a boat and a tour of Alcatraz. As she walked away we noticed another gentleman had his has on 2 tables down. We found it odd so I asked the hostess if there was a reason he was allowed to be wearing a hat. She immediately got very indignant with me and remarked "it's a request we make." To which I responded..."ok so we can wear our hats" again very rude and smug and indignant she replied "yes but my son must wear it forward and not backward." Ok so why not just make that request? But again this is tourist central, at lunch time, in a restaurant that's in my mind a marginally upscale BJs. Please get over yourself "Hillstone" We then proceeded to sit and watch a minimum of 3 women all come in with hats on of different sorts. Large brim, beret etc. NONE OF THEM had the same request made of them. Completely absurd. Ok moving on, next issue. I was already annoyed but ordered the omelette. "Cheese and herbs" were the ingredients. Ok no problem I'll ask them to add some meat or bacon to it, they have those things in other menu items, shouldn't be an issue...or so you'd think. So the waiter returns and I order the omelette and say "can you please just add some bacon to it, I see you have bacon in the salads" to which the waiter responds. "No I'm sorry we can't do it. It's a composed recipe we don't like to change, but I'll be happy to give you bacon on the side." Uh what? Your customer just requested bacon and you won't do it because you like the recipe the way it is?!?! So yah maybe they make it some special way? Ok omelette shows up and it's literally a thin rolled egg with goat cheese... bland as can be, and NO I don't want the bacon on the side. Hillstone needs to recognize it's not a high end restaurant... it's in a tourist area, and guess what. A hat is a hat... women's, men's, forward or backward and at lunch you gotta expect people to be dressed casual. You're ok with kids sitting watching cartoons full blast on cellphones, you're ok with women in tennis outfits... but somehow a nice ball cap lowers the level of your clientele? Well not to worry you definitely have one less family now that you have to worry about in your restaurant. Also as a side note... ordering a soda in a restaurant nowadays (especially one with a bar) is pretty standard fare to have refills.... Vs tiny glass bottles and $5 per refill. This place is an epic fail!! Only reason it gets 2 stars is that my son liked his salmon. That's it. read more

A superb dining experience from start to finish. Steaming hot towel for my hands? Yes please. Low, ambient lighting and real candles on the table? Absolutely. Changing my martini into a freshly chilled glass mid meal? You bet. The food is lovingly prepared & delicious and the service is unmatched. In a world where everyone seems to price gouge and under deliver Hillstone (Houston's) goes above and beyond to make you feel like the most important person in the room. In a word, they are "The Best of the Best." Thank you to everyone at this glorious restaurant for an amazing experience. 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

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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

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I went last night for my birthday. I hadn't been for many years and was looking forward to returning. The food was great. The food runners and other staff were fine. My issue was the attitude I picked up on from our waiter. It was made clear when we were seated that it was my birthday. I don't like a lot of attention, but what I didn't like was the pretentious attitude I was noting. When it came time for dessert, I asked if they had berries. I need to be careful with my blood sugars, so a traditional dessert wasn't an option for me. I asked for strawberries, blueberries or any other kind. The waiter claimed they had nothing and just shrugged us off with an "oh well". It would have been nice if he checked with the kitchen. I left very disappointed. I took notice how our waiter interacted with other tables. Very different. I wouldn't go back if he was my waiter again. I drove an hour to get there. read more

Hillstone San Francisco is exactly why I'll always ride for Hillstone as one of the most consistently excellent restaurant groups in the country. You walk in knowing you're going to get a great meal, and this location delivered in a big way. The chicken sandwich and the french dip were out of this world, like "why am I not ordering this every week?" level. The spinach artichoke dip was ridiculously good, and the burger was perfect too, cooked right, super flavorful, just classic done the right way. Service was fantastic from start to finish, attentive without hovering and everything came out exactly how it should. If you want a guaranteed win in San Francisco, this is it. read more

Service was excellent so I am giving it a 1star. Food quality was the worst ever... Worst $200 spent in life for food. Houston's became my favorite restaurant when I was in college (1990's) long before it became Hillstone. Over the last 20 years I raved to anyone who would listen about how good the crab cakes, spinach/artichoke dip, and Hawaiian Ribeye were...until yesterday. The last three visits to Hillstone (in SF) have been increasingly disappointing with the (final) worst being yesterday. The crab cakes were filled with almost as many shells as crab meat and were very bland w/nothing to "dip" it in. I ordered the steak and dip to go because I didn't know when I would get back to the city again to have them... the steak was tough and overcooked although I asked for it medium rare it was closer to a medium well. The absolute worst was the spinach/artichoke dip that tasted like something from the frozen foods section of a grocery store-generic brand, at that. After 30+ years, I have to find another favorite restaurant and forget this disappointing experience ever happened. read more

5 solid stars for today's lunch with the grilled artichoke which is a popular item as well as the Kale salad with chicken. Both were solid choices as well as the Talbot Chardonnay which I had. it been years since my last review where I only gave an average rating while dining at the Bar which had limited choices at that time. Will definitely be back when in the area. Hostess and our Server along with the Bartender who waited on me were great and exuded high service standards during my visit at 12:30 pm on Wednesday. read more

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