House of Prime Rib

House of Prime Rib, at 1906 Van Ness Avenue on the edge of San Francisco's Nob Hill and Polk Gulch neighborhoods, has served prime rib since 1949 and is one of the city's longest-running classic steakhouses. The cuisine is American prime rib, with no chef-driven or Michelin context; its reputation rests on a fixed ritual and decades of continuity. Dinner centres on beef roasted and kept warm in silver carts, which servers wheel to the table and carve to order. Diners choose from several cuts, including the standard City Cut, the thicker English Cut, the bone-in Diamond Jim Brady Cut and the largest King Henry VIII Cut. Each order comes with a tableside-tossed salad, Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and horseradish, so the signature dishes are the carved prime rib, the Yorkshire pudding and the creamed spinach. The dining room is dark and clubby, with wood paneling, white tablecloths and attentive service; the atmosphere is festive and relatively loud, and the crowd mixes families, birthday groups, couples and business travelers. There is no strict dress code, but many diners dress up for the occasion. The bar and cocktail service are part of the draw, with classic martinis and a wine list suited to red meat. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly on weekends and holiday periods, and booking several weeks ahead is sensible for peak evenings; the restaurant takes bookings through houseofprimerib.net. Dinner is the only service, Monday to Friday from 5:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 4:00 PM. Typical spending is about $60 to $90 per person before drinks. Because portions are large and the menu is built around one dish, the restaurant suits groups and celebrations more than a light meal, and half portions or smaller cuts are the usual choice for lighter appetites. It is a short ride from Union Square and the Civic Center, along the Van Ness corridor.