John's Grill
Restaurant · Union Square ·
Classic steakhouse with literary ties and political history
Classic steakhouse with literary ties and political history
"The restaurant of Maltese Falcon fame has held Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for years, and its multi-tiered menu setup is worth checking out: at $90 comes a prix fixe turkey menu with roasted turkey breast, sage sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, and more; for $100, step up to a steak and seafood dinner with lobster bisque, Caesar salad, and a choice of broiled halibut, jumbo prawns Dijonnaise, or New York steak with vegetables and a baked potato; or ball out at $125 with lobster bisque and a filet mignon with Maine lobster tail—then add on a prawn cocktail if you know what’s good for ya, with reservations via OpenTable." - Dianne de Guzman
"A setting in The Maltese Falcon and a favorite for politicos, the wood-paneled walls of John’s Grill will transport you to an earlier era of San Francisco. Try Jack LaLanne’s Favorite Salad, or order up some petrale sole, chicken Jerusalem, or the Sam Spade special (chops, baked potato, sliced tomato) and soak it all in." - Paolo Bicchieri
"I learned that John’s Grill was underway when the 1906 earthquake hit and was the first restaurant to debut downtown in the recovery two years later; today it still thrives in Union Square despite sitting in the middle of the pedestrian-unfriendly Central Subway construction. Its original wood walls are lined with portraits of past and present celebrity diners, it earned a hot Zagat review last fall, and that historic, well-trafficked atmosphere draws a never-ending revolving door of locals and tourists, totaling around 500 patrons a night." - Eater Staff
"The more a restaurant feels like stepping back in time, the higher the chances of you being the happy recipient of free bread. John’s Grill has no problem honoring this rule. The classic steakhouse in Union Square—complete with ribeyes on most tables, martinis, and a shrine to The Maltese Falcon—is as old-school as they come. They also stock the table with enough butter to make Julia Child proud. A win in our book." - julia chen 1, patrick wong
"Focused on steak and seafood, John’s Grill is a San Francisco institution favored by local politicians and filled with literary romance. Featured in Dashiell Hammett’s detective novel the Maltese Falcon, the restaurant has played up the connection — they’ve got a model Maltese Falcon and some Sam Spade lamb chops on the menu, for instance. But the strongest order might be steak: All cuts are dry-aged Black Angus from the Midwest." - Dianne de Guzman
