PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

Every big city has a great steak restaurant, and in San Francisco it's Harris' -- a comfortably elegant establishment where the seriously handsome and atmospheric wood-paneled dining room has high-backed booths, banquettes, high ceilings, hunting murals, stately waiters, a convivial bar scene with live jazz Thursday through Saturday, and even a meat counter for the carnivore on the go. Here, the point, of course, is steak, which can be seen hanging in a glass-windowed aging room off Pacific Avenue. The cuts are thick -- New York-style or T-bone -- and are served with a baked potato and seasonal vegetables. You'll also find classic French onion soup, spinach and Caesar salads, and sides of delicious creamed spinach, sautéed shiitake mushrooms, or caramelized onions. Harris' also offers lamb chops, fresh fish, lobster, and occasionally venison, buffalo, and other seasonal game. Desserts, such as a sculptural beehive-like baked Alaska, are surprisingly good. If you're debating between this place and House of Prime Rib, consider that aside from specializing in aged meats, this place is more "upscale," while HOPR features prime rib and a classic old-school vibe.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's San Francisco 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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