Hayes Street GrillAlways dependableGreat for pre-concert dinner. Attention to details, knowledgeable staff, always dependable quality. Go to place in Civic Center area.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a consistently wonderfulThis is a consistently wonderful restaurant. Reservations are always taken on time. Service is terrific and the food is wonderful. They mastered the French fry a long time ago & they're some of the best anywhere! Always a good choice.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMCall for Menu!I had my heart set on soft-shell crab but alas had to settle (:) for fresh king salmon. The waiter did say it's best to call the day of to check on the menu if you're interested in a specific item. Their fish is always fresh and delectable and I did enjoy very much my substitute meal!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMconsistent winnerIn the age of a new notable restaurant opening every 5 minutes, how comforting to find this venerable seafood establishment serving exceptional meals year after year after year. Dining here before a performance is a performance in itself!6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSand dabs perfectly done andSand dabs perfectly done and in goodly quantity. Very professional in all respects.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMA classic-delicious freshA classic-delicious fresh fish and some of the best french fries ever!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat placeEven when you don't have symphony or opera tickets. Took friends from out of town. Great experience.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of our favorite restaurants.One of our favorite restaurants. Close to Symphony Hall. The warm goat cheese salad is outstanding as is the Caesar salad. The fish is wonderful -- we both had Alaskan halibut. Superb. Highly recommend.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMFish, fish and more fishA great experience, if you love fish! Always extremely well prepared and served in a friendly but very professional way.
Deservedly popular.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMnever missesdeft hand with fish; always a great meal and friendly, responsive service.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMSan Francisco ClassicThis is one of San Francisco's classic restaurants. The food is always fresh and well prepared. You can't go wrong.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMAn old favorite that never changesDelicious fresh fish, great starters and salads, vegetables done right -- all simply prepared and reliably good, time after time. We've been eating there and enjoying the food and the friendly staff (which hasn't changed -- tells you something) for 25+ years, and will continue to keep it on our top 5 list.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMconsistently delicious seafoodI have always enjoyed dining at Hayes Street Grill. The menu reflects seasonal produce and local seafood prepared in imaginative and delicious ways. It's nice that you can choose a variety of preparations and sauces for the fish.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMSeafood is great. ServiceSeafood is great. Service was excellent. Love this place !!5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat nightHayes Street Grill was fantastic for a nice dinner during our SF anniversary weekend trip. Fried oyster plate was great.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMClassic San FranciscoI love the bustle and no nonsense attitude of the place. It's good, and it knows it. The food is fresh, innovative, delicious. The grilled asparagus salad w/ fava beans, chicory, and shaved Parmesan was perfect w/ a light olive oil dressing. Beautifully presented. Grilled halibut was light and lovely, though the temperature could have been hotter. That is my only criticism. I like my food hot, and this was just warm. The splurge of French fries is worth it: golden, crispy, hot and delicious. Chilled rose was perfect accompaniment. It is a classic gem.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFresh fish, expertly prepared,Fresh fish, expertly prepared, not overcooked, served hot! What could be better.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat staying power!The soft shell crab was fabulous as usual! It's so good to know that I can go back year after year and enjoy the same dining experience of wonderful food and really great service.
Thank you!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMSOFT SHELL CRABSI was in tears -- the soft shell crabs in a meuniere sauce were AMAZING!! And the french fries are among the best in town!! Hurry up while they are still in season......and yes, use the bread to sop up any of the remaining sauce!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMPassing the test of timeWe first ate at Hayes Street Grill over thirty years ago. We don't get back often, there is much more competition these days. Glad to be reminded that some restaurants just get it right and don't falter in their standards. Great choice for a pre-theater evening.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMtrustworthyA diner can rely fresh, delicious ingredients, excellently prepared and attentively served. What more can a person want?5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMlunch in the cityMy wife & I have enjoyed seafood in good restaurants in NY & SF and found the fish offerings on this menu both abundant and
well-defined. The food was perfectly cooked and came to the table hot. The service was on point and the waiter was very patient
about answering our questions about the entrees. My wife who is from NYC commented that the Hayes St. Grill reminded her of
the best seafood restaurants that she frequented in the 80's. My overall perspective of my visit was excellent food with professional
service which will bring me back for more.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat, as usual.....unfortunately,great, as usual.....unfortunately, there were two large parties seated behind us....it's a smallish restaurant, and we enjoy a quiet meal after the symphony, but it was really noisy this time, and somewhat unpleasant, as we couldn't hear each other......usually it's a perfect spot.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMStill as good as everWent for lunch, seated immediately, given attentive friendly service from the very beginning. Presented the menu's with brief - not rushed - descriptions and then we were given ample time to review. As as soon as we indicated we had decided, our orders were taken quickly and efficiently. The food was excellent (soft shell crab, steak, and desserts) - their French fries are among the best in the entire city. Our waiter was outstanding - ideal model of always aware but never interrupting us. This is a refreshing break from the waiters who seem to need to interrupt every few minutes ( at their convenience as they pass by) to ask "How's everything?" as their mark of attentive service. Great waiters like the one we had watch their customers.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMDinner before the showDined before a concert at SFJazz. Waiter made sure we were served promptly to make curtain call. Food was excellent. It is a popular place, so expect the noise level to be high. Great location for events around Civic Center.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great pre-lectureWe had a great pre-lecture dinner....salads are fabulous, fish stew was excellent, lovely menu choices and presentation, wines were terrific and the service was attentive and friendly. It got a little noisy but everyone was happy and we left fully satisfied with our tasty meals. Thank you.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMFresh fish & secret to quiet diningHayes St. Grill serves the freshest fish imaginable. The secret to quiet dining mid-week is to eat at 7:15 pm or later on nights when there are performances as SF Symphony, Ballet and/or Opera. The dining rooms are buzzing before then, but then the ambience becomes as quiet as your living room.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMFit For foodiesThe Hayes Street Grill is the perfect start for an evening at the ballet, opera and symphony. The service is always wonderful and if you like fresh ingredients for your meals, this is the place. A wonderful experience. This is a San Francisco institution which endures the test of time.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMalways perfecthayes st grill is such a perfect, classic, san francisco restaurant. i love that it is low key, no fuss no muss, just perfectly prepared and delicious food. it is one of the those restaurants that has stayed true to itself over the years, and along with zuni, and a few others, it is one of the great places in san francisco that has survived through thick and thin. there are so many great restaurants in san francisco, but it's nice to have a few that have been around for so long that they feel like home.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMHayes Street RepriseAn old friend was in from NYC to do a ballet, so we rendezvous'd at Hayes Street Grill just around the corner from her hotel. Open on a Monday, thank you, HSG! We had a brief wait at the bar with a delicious French rose from the small but choice list. Then to the table and an enjoyable, chatty, no-pressure meal. We ordered a bottle of the rose to go with our goat cheese salads. As entrees I enjoyed the Sole with mushrooms and my companions had the grilled Halibut with chips. All were delicious. We brought our own bottle for the entrees and no problem. Desert was a Gravenstein brandy, very nice. Service was attentive when wanted, hands-off when we were going down memory lane. A delightful experience once again at the Hayes Street Grill.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMA beautiful early eveningA beautiful early evening in the city----the grill fills up very quickly once opened and then becomes very noisy. As always, the
food was spectacular, service terrific. We were just a party of two-----our table was very small and did require some juggling of
plates to keep everything on the table.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was well-prepared. ServiceFood was well-prepared. Service was professional and friendly.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWomderful///Only one negativeWomderful///Only one negative note. My wife didn't like the Navarro chardonay.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMIt has been a long while sinceIt has been a long while since we've been to the "Grill". It was a pleasant experience, we would recommend it highly4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenal dining. StandoutPhenomenal dining. Standout seafood. Professional wait staff. They excel w/cooperation and a sense of humor. Hosted friends from Dallas & Chapel Hill. Both were equally impressed. Call it a standing ovation.
Howard4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMEntry dining area feels crampedEntry dining area feels cramped with too many tables & more space between each table to provide more of an intimate dining experience would be appreciated. Service was excellant and attentive. Salmon was over cooked even though I was specific about being more rare than medium rare.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMHayes St. Grill remains theHayes St. Grill remains the premiere spot for pre-symphony/opera/ballet/jazz dining in San Francisco. Delicious food, with attention to ingredients and flavor, and with professional staff at every step of the evening. Reserve early for pre-theater dining. And try it when you don't have anything else planned for the evening. It is s lovely neighborhood, and tables are easier to get once the curtains have risen.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMHas been consistently greatHas been consistently great for decades. Service is so professional without being snooty. They accept us graciously even tho we were late for our reservation; they prepare superb fish to perfection in no time. Easy to substitute vegetable for french fries, even tho the fries are the best this side of Paris.
Good range of wines by the glass.
They've really mastered the art of gracious dining even tho diners show up late, and are in a hurry to get to their performances; all the amenities of slow food on a fast food schedule. Love them madly.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent restaurant, easyExcellent restaurant, easy to stop by after a concert at the new SFJAZZ center.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyable meal with good serviceEnjoyable meal with good service and food, a little noisy because of loud adjacent diners.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a great choice, especiallyAlways a great choice, especially when you are not heading to the Opera/Symphony/Theater. .
Should not be overlooked....4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGrilled fish is to die for...neverGrilled fish is to die for...never overcooked. This time we had the salmon.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMA gem in Civic CenterA perfect place to eat before going on to the ballet or symphony. The staff knows how to get you in and out without feeling rushed. The food is excellent and the service is not only as professional as one could want, but friendly, too! It serves one of the best creme brûlée around-- worth the trip for that alone, though the rest of the food, especially the fresh fish is excellent. There is a reason this restaurant has managed to stay in business for over 25 years, its really good!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMI have lived in SF over 25I have lived in SF over 25 years and had not been to the Hayes Street Grill before, and I am glad that I went. The food was very good, the place is very busy before any events happening in the neighborhood, so I am thankful that they offer tables on Open Table. Our server was very good, though he did mess up our bill, but he did resolve this mistake quickly. I will certainly go back.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMA class pre-show actA time-honored go-to place for dinner before the symphony, opera or ballet--that is, if you remember to reserve a couple of weeks in advance. Seafood is the specialty (sand dabs, sole, and grilled halibut/sea bass/salmon etc.), but they also do a good sausage and the odd steak, sausage or pork chop. French fries served in a cornet are another specialty, and you can't go wrong with the hot fudge sundae for dessert. The service is perhaps the best in the city--professional and attentive, and they will always get you to the show on time. For the money (not cheap, but not crazy expensive either), this is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in town.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGood but Healthy Eaters BewareFish is always good; service is excellent. We were very late due to traffic conditions, and they were very gracious in accommodating our reservation. However, one fault I always have with Hayes Street Grill is their french fries/vegetable policy. We are trying to eat healthier and omit french fries from our diet; although delicious, not healthy. The substitute vegetable for 3.50 (no one else charges for a vegetable substitute) was creamed spinach and cauliflower - how about just some steamed spinach and cauliflower - if you want the vegetable of the day they charge 8.00. This is somewhat ridiculous and offensive to me.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWe always love this restaurantWe always love this restaurant and, once again, we were not disappointed!3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were seated in the backWe were seated in the back room so it was quiet and comfortable. The food was delicious. We told our server that we had an 8 p.m. curtain and he assured us that we had time for two courses. We actually had time for three! We would definitely return to try other things on the menu. This was a great restaurant experience.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMMany choices of fresh localMany choices of fresh local fish on menu, as well as some non-fish items. Everything on menu looking tempting. Our server, James, was oustanding - knowledgeable, welcoming and helpful with our questions and requests. Enjoyed a delicious dinner of Rex sole with Kennebec fries of course. A delightful dining experience.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food and friendly service.Good food and friendly service. We went on a busy weekend night, and our server kept us very happy. Great spot to go before attending an event at any of the City Center theaters.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AM