Hayes Street Grill

Service was phenomenal! The place was packed with Symphony goers and the restaurant did a wonderful job getting everyone served timely and to the show.

I was underwhelmed with this place. The food was very mediocre and service felt rushed and inattentive. They brought 4 small pieces of bread and a small square of butter for the 4 of us. We had to flag them down for more bread and butter. My fish was dry, and it took me a long time to get the attention of the waiter to ask for some lime. My husband's steak was very chewy and flavorless.

Great food but a bit crowded and loud.

This was out first time here and it was before a concert at the nearby War Memorial. We were seated promptly upon arrival at our reservation time. The service was efficient, though not "friendly". It was all business. The soup and salad courses were very good and decent sized portions. We shared the HSG paella. It was "non-traditional" in that it was a relatively small dish due to the fact that there was very little rice compared to typical paellas. That actually left room for an ample portion of tender clams, mussels and shrimp. The chorizo component was small crumbled pieces rather than slices or chunks . It took me a few bites to realize that. It was tasty, but not something I would order again. We didn't have time for dessert. It was a full house by the time we left and the clientele definitely skewed to seniors (like us). This enabled the noise level to be such you could actually have a conversation without yelling, a definite plus and increasing rarity. This is a good spot before a performance at any of the local venues in easy walking distance.

Good food in an upscale atmosphere with very good attentive service.
They also made accommodations for a vegetarian beyond the minimal veggie options on the menu.

The Hayes Street Grill is our favorite place to take best friends and celebrate family events!

Delicious meal and outstanding meal! I do feel courses are a bit overpriced but this restaurant is such a wonderful environment for a special night out, still worth it!

Love this place. Everything was so good

As always, the sea food is exceptional. My friend loved her sea bass. I loved my scallops.

We all loved our dinner even so on that Sunday night a lot of the dishes had a black dot , not available, but it’s great to meet friends and have conversations

We often visit and enjoy Hayes Street Grill so this must have been a really “off” night. We arrived to find 2 entrees already unavailable. The server encouraged us to order quickly, so we did. He even left half way through to put the fish order in and all seemed good. Five minutes later he returned and said they only had one of the available fish that two of us ordered. The order that was available arrived so dry my husband didn’t eat it, and our friend had to send her order back as it was cold. It was returned without the sauce on the side, but we didn’t even bother summoning the waiter as by now the meal was a lost cause. To their credit, the waiter comped 2 dinners. Get your act together, Hayes Street Grill!!

Ordered sea bass which was served raw and cold in the center. Was taken back and reserved in a macerated lump. No apology given

Made reservations before going to the symphony. We were running late & I called to let them know & they held our reservations. After we arrived 45 mins late (traffic), we were seated promptly. Our server was really nice & ask which show we were going to. We told him & he had us in & out, just in time for the show. I highly recommend the porkchops.

Great place to eat before going to theatre or symphony and you only have to park once. been around a long time and has that feeling of history which I enjoyed. Food and service very good. Love the neighborhood. Go early and poke about the various shops. Especially at Holiday time.

My husband and I like to go to the Hayes Street Grill before going to the SF Opera....which is just around the corner. My husband and I shared the smoked trout salad and it was delicious!! Then, both of us had the Scallops for our main course. The scallops were cooked to perfection and we are now in the clean plate club!! Yum! For dessert, we shared the chocolate cake served with mocha (coffee?) ice cream.... And, once again, we are in the clean plate club!!! The service was excellent. Our waiter was attentive and kept checking back with us...and brought us more bread....and we felt we were treated very nicely. Yes, I would highly recommend this restaurant!!!!

Overall a excellent dining spot, especially if headed it is a pre-performance dinner. Pan fried oysters were marvelous and service was exceptional. Always a good bet.

Great, fresh seafood and the best fries in town. Desserts also delicious. Our favorite in SF for years!

This place is a gem. Food and service are consistently excellent. The waitstaff have been here for over 30 years and are unsurpassed at pacing meals so one is never rushed and always on time for Performances.

This is our favorite "go to" restaurant when attending a performance at the SF Symphony or Opera House.

It is a consistently good. The fish choices are always fresh, simply prepared, it excellent.

Always consistently good food, service, ambiance and value.

We had the most succulent oysters lightly breaded and sauteed! This is quickly becoming my favorite restaurant.

As always Hayes Street Grill has outstanding seafood. It has a comfortable setting with outstanding service. We go frequently.

Our service st Hayes Grill was poor. The waiter was distracted and more interested in other tables. We had to chase him down to get water, another bottle of wine, beer etc. The plates were small. The fish was small, alone on the plate with a bowl of French fries. No aioli nothing. For the price, I expected better.

As this was a pre-SFS performance meal we very much appreciated the immediate seating and very fast delivery of our meal, which was delicious. The only regret was that they were not serving their famous crab cakes that evening.

We have been coming to Hayes Street for at least 35 of its 39 years, and we have had the same waiters for most of that time. Although the menu has been updated over the years to accommodate availabilities, demographics, and zeitgeist, the format remains the same; ingredients, prep, and service on an enviable level. The wine and cocktail lists are somewhat minimalist by comparison with some innovative bistros in the Hayes Valley. The focus here is on appropriate bevvies to compliment the menu. Pairing wine with fish, shellfish, and the odd chop or hamburger requires a light touch, not an encyclopaedia. Salads brilliant. Desserts rich and comforting. They know you may be attending a performance, so they ask, but please allow at least ninety minutes, just so that you may enjoy.

Family reunion

Had an early dinner here before the opera. Both my dinner companion and I like small plates so we both ordered two appetizers. The warm goat cheese and salad was very good , the calamari salad less so. We both had the hAlf Dungeness crab and it was delicious. Icy cold and oh so fresh. Accompanied by some California bubbly it was a perfect meal befor sitting at the opera for 2.5 hrs!

Fantastic. The best. Classic. I would highly recommend this restaurant that has been open for ages, thank goodness.

We had a really handsome waiter whose name we think was John. Attentive, gracious, and welcoming!

For grilled fresh fish, nothing beats Hayes Street Grill! Best fish in town--fresh, flavorful, cooked to perfection, with fine fresh vegetables and French fries just like Mother used to make! On performance nights it is very crowded, but after 8 it becomes lots quieter. It's worth the crowd scene to savor the best fish dinner available anywhere, and it's very handy to the Symphony, Opera, and Herbst for pre-performance dinners. The full bar allows true indulgence in the best cognacs or port for after dinner. All this comes at a price--it's certainly not the cheapest place in town, but I am always satisfied--there is great value in the excellent preparation and high quality of the food and service.

Excellent food and service. Daily specials including Crab Season specials must check in daily for menu options.

I've been going to Hayes street grill for decades
Always great
No more
Sand dabs were delicious but
Caesar salad so disappointing
I've had better at Burbank airport
Waiter carried a glass of something with him as he served his guests
Weird
Place was empty on Thursday night
Is patty still in charge?

This restaurant is serviceable, but crowded and noisy, for dining pre-symphony or opera. I would definitely not seek it out for any other occasion.

The atmosphere, menu and service were excellent. Great for pre-symphony dining.

The swordfish and opah were cooked perfectly. Oysters and and early girl salad were fresh and delicious. Simple food cooked simply—the best

I hadn't been to Hayes Street Grill in years -- overall, I'd say the dining scene has passed it by. The food was okay, not great. The starter of grilled sardines was good, but overpriced. The main of pan fried oysters with fries and cole slaw was so-so -- very good fries, good slaw, slightly fishy oysters (yes, I know, they're oysters, but they lacked a freshness). The room is nice, the service was friendly and properly paced. This was fine, but there are better choices at similar prices in the neighborhood.

Great unique, fresh food. Great waiters. Good service. Wait time was reasonable for quality of food & number of diners on a Friday night.

Our 4th or 5th time and it has always been terrific. I like the ambiance of this restaurant better than any other in San Francisco, and while one can find more imaginative food elsewhere, I guess, it couldn't be any better.

Hayes Street Grill was a great choice before a show at SF Jazz. Service is professional and food is delicious. Definitely look forward to returning there.