Old San Francisco Steak House (CLOSED)   8611 Westheimer Rd Houston TX MY REVIEW: Was Very Dissappointed when my entire family met there for Christmas Eve Dinner at 1pm on the 24th to find the restaurant closed. Our Holiday meal had been planned there so our Granddaughter could swing in the swing, the way her Mother had years ago. Thanks Melissa for taking our Reservations, and assuring me the Restaurant would be open for Lunch that Special Day. Luckily another Restaurant in the area was able to accomodate our party at the last minute ! Will never plan another meal there. From the comments below, maybe it was our good fortune you were closed. NAME: S. Harborth SUBMITTED: 12/27/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: December 24, 2004 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: The last time we visited was 10-15 years ago. I should have known not to rely on experiences from that long ago. The whole place has an odor, more musty and old smelling than anything else. We were extremely overdressed, this used to be a nice restaurant. We were seated promptly and the bread and cheese came quickly - But, we should have left then. Steak is overpriced and not that great, potatoes were not cooked through. And the kids taking a ride on the swing - cheesy! What a way to spend my 40th! NAME: sherriart SUBMITTED: 9/24/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: !YEAH! The Old San Francisco is letting kids swing on the red velvet swing with the girl in the red velvet dress again! We have always loved this restaurant, but it broke our hearts when we were told that our daughter couldn't swing like we had when we were young. Well, we dined there the other night and were SO pleased that they reviewed this change in policy. Also, the service and all the food was top-notch! The manager came over on several occasions and was very knowledgable, friendly, and hilarious! Everyone that worked there seemed to really care about my family and our experience - even the bus boys! NAME: Dr. H. Hawrey SUBMITTED: 6/27/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: My boyfriend took me to the Old San Francisco Steak House for dinner, and we really had a wonderful time. The atmosphere is very romantic and we really enjoyed our steaks. The service was also very good. We were celebrating our one year anniversary, and when our server found out, she brought us a complimentary piece of "candy" cake. It is a nice place to go and celebrate. The live piano music is mellow, and the entertainer on the trapeze is fun to watch. We really liked the cheese and hot bread. We will go back. NAME: Alexandra SUBMITTED: 5/26/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: april 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I am writing this in regards to an experience we had at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse today.(Mothers Day). We have been there on 3 or 4 holidays and have always enjoyed ourselves. I called about noon to make a reservation for 5 p.m. The man who answered the phone sounded very professional, and explained that Mothers Day was one of the busiest days of the year, and, in order to accomodate everyone, they were having different seatings at 2 hour intervals. He was very polite and informative, and told us that because it was going to be so busy, he advised us to be punctual as they could only hold a reservation for 15 minutes. I booked the reservation and gave my credit card number as my confirmation number. As is usual,in Houston, the road work and traffic were horrendous. We were coming from Katy, and of course we got bogged down with the road construction, and we were going to be late for our reservation. I remembered that the man I spoke with was named Rick, so I called on my cell phone, and luck was with me, he once again answered the phone. I explained the situation and he said that even though we were more than a 1/2 an hour late, he would do the best he could to accomodate us. When we arrived,there was a group of 3 men and two ladies being very rude to the man at the host stand. I could not believe the tone of their voices, and the vulgarity they were using. They insisted that they had a reservation, but they could not give a confirmation number.They were threatening to call the owner of the restaurant, as he was their friend, and said they would get him fired if they were not seated immediately. I could not believe my ears. The man behind the host stand was so kind and patient with these terrible people. He was far more patient than I could of been. Finally, he got them seated. We were next in line. When he saw us he smiled and said, "Welcome to the Old San Francisco, my name is Rick, how can I help you?' We were amazed at his attitude, especially after the abuse he had just endured. I told him who we were, apologized for being late, and he assured me that it was not a problem, and said that he would get us seated as soon as possible. Within 5 or 10 minutes, we were taken to the large room with the swing and seated. The waiter came over and introduced himself as the Dining Room Captain. He also said that Rick had told him that we were special guests, and that he would take very good care of us. What a nice and polite young man! He was so professional. Needless to say, we had a beautiful dining experience. The food was delicious,reasonably priced and well prepared. Rick and another young manager visited our table and really made us feel special. Even the Swing girl made my 11 year old daughter giggle and smile! We will definitely go back to this extraordinary restaurant. NAME: DancingDove SUBMITTED: 5/9/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: may 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: WOW! That is word that pops into my head to describe my experience! I had what was absolutely the most mouth watering, melt in your mouth Texas, sized T bone of my life. My Wife ordered an Australian Lobster tail that was as big as we have ever seen. This combined with an eclectic atmosphere, and that cute little Girl on the Red Velvet Swing, made for a memorable evening that we certainly will tell our friends about! What a cool place. The service was excellent, and, although it was a little pricey, it's true that you get what you pay for! WOW! NAME: Lionheart SUBMITTED: 5/9/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: may 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We were visiting Houston and asked our concierge where we could get a great Texas steak. He suggested the Old San Francisco. What a great suggestion. We arrived,and even though we did not have a reservation, we were seated immediately. As soon as we sat down we were given a giant block of swiss cheese and some hot bread. Our server came over, noticed our accent, and asked us if this was our first visit. We explained that we were from Tunisia, and in Houston on business. A few minutes after we ordered our food, a very nice gentleman came to our table and welcomed us in our native language! I was very surprised and delighted that some one would make us feel so welcome! He had a big smile on his face, and was so pleasant to us. The food we ordered was superb in presentation, and delicious in flavor. My lamb was so tasty! Our server was so attentive, filling our drinks, and cleaning our table. I only wish we had a restaurant like this in my country! The little girl who swings in the air was also very pleasant to us. She made us feel like we were very much at home. I know I will visit each time I come to visit Houston! NAME: adel SUBMITTED: 5/8/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: may 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: What should have been a one hour meal became a 2.5 hour ordeal. I was taking my neighbors Tom and Diana out to dinner as a form of saying “Thank You” for all the times that they watch my house when I am out of town on business. San Francisco Steak House was one of their favorite restaurants. I had planned this night since it was very important to me to show my appreciation to them for their kindness. We were seated fairly quickly, but it went downhill from there. Tom wanted a Bud Light. We were told the bar was out of Bud Light. As he only drinks Bud Light, he ordered an iced tea. Diana ordered water without ice. When the drinks arrive, she had a glass of water with ice. The glasses were not filled frequently. We had to ask for our glasses to be refilled. Since Tom had finished his tea, when the waitress was pouring water, she poured water into his tea glass. He now needed a new glass of tea. Diana also had to ask for another glass of water…this time without ice as per the original request. The salads were the next test of patience. Tom’s salad came out with a spoiled tomato on it. The waitress also brought ranch salad dressing on the side for all three of us. Tom and Diana had ordered 1000 Island dressing on the side. There was another delay in the meal as we waited for the new dressing and the new salad. It was several minutes - a minimum of fifteen – for our salad plates to sit in front of us while we waited for them to be cleared. Then the big wait occurred - waiting for the steaks. Our waitress had now disappeared and was waiting on every other table in her section. We easily sat there 30 minutes without employee interaction. We saw food coming out to other tables but not ours. I even tried the classic move of rubbing my neck to attract attention from the hostess or another wait staff member to no avail. Finally, I had to ask the Manager on Duty to check on our food. Sure enough, it must have been waiting in the back all this time because he comes out with it on a tray. The steaks were average cuts of meat and warmth was lacking. It was clear to us that they had been sitting out. At this point we were too hungry to risk any more delays and sending it back. Also, there was never any bread refill offered. Again we had to wait at least ten to fifteen minutes with the remnants of our meal in front of us until we could have the plates cleared. At this point I was ready to clear them myself and put them on the dirty table next to us. And 2 pieces of cauliflower does not qualify as "seasonal vegetables." Vegetables is plural. Finally, at the end of the meal, the waitress was all attentive again offering desserts and coffee. I guess the rush had ended for her and now she had time for us and to be concerned about the tip. By this point in the evening, we just were ready to leave and declined desserts and coffee. From my observation it appeared that they were a little short handed and people were trying to work hard. However, I feel that we were there early enough (7 PM) and we were only a party of three people not needing much attention so it shouldn’t have been too difficult to provide service – or at least letting us know about the possible delay. We just wanted our order filled correctly and promptly. For $82.00 for a meal for three people, I don’t think it would have been too much to ask for correctness and promptness. Extremely doubtful I'll ever go back. They had such a great place once. NAME: Jkintexas SUBMITTED: 5/4/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: May 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My wife and I have been to this wonderful place on 4 or 5 occasions, and it just keeps getting better and better! I will tell you that the steaks are full of flavor and VERY tender. I actually cut my filet with a fork! My wifes' Rosemary chicken breasts were equally tasty. There was too much food for her, and she ended up having the second one for lunch the next day. We eat out all the time, and we have never seen such a friendly attentive staff. Even the young man who brought the giant block of swiss cheese and hot bread to our table, asked us how our evening was going. During the course of our meal, we were visited by two different managers, the "girl on the red velvet swing', and the piano player! Everyone was so friendly. What a refreshing change from the generic staff you find at other restaurants. Our daughter loved the chocolate volcano she had for dessert, and she said that she wants to be a "swinger" when she grows up. (she is six.) We will continue to patronize this Great Houston landmark! NAME: taylor SUBMITTED: 3/31/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/03 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: We have been going to Old San Francisco for over 20 years! Every holiday, every birthday, anniversary. Needless to say some months we would meet there every week! It was our favorite restaurant in houston...It was our special place to celebrate all the important things in our lives. No More! We will never go back. And it breaks our hearts.. Our family celebrated my mothers Birthday. In the past we have always been greeted with a warm smile and big hello from the staff. They always knew our names...Not any more. In 3 months they have changed staff several times. All the old familiar faces are gone and replaced with less then average employees. We couldn't help but notice how ineffecient the staff was. And not one person smiled during our entire visit! The food that we loved so well gone! The menu was replaced with choice meat! Not the great steaks we were used to!! All our favorite items are gone. Even the Bernaise sauce is gone. The baked potatoes are no longer done table side and they were served to us cold. The mashed potaotes are from a box. Now, for a steak and lobster dinner that costs all of #75.00 you would think they could server Real mashed potatoes! The final blow was when the waiter told us our grand childern were not allowed to swing any more! After all these years... This our waiter told us was the policy of the new owners!! This was one of the reasons we drove all the way from Galveston to eat here! Now it's like every other restaurant...And the food is overpriced and awful. A manager did introduce himself to us and stayed 20 minutes telling my family how he opened other restaurants etc....For a manager to be so knowledgable how is it he did NOT ask us once how our meal was. Instead he stayed at our table while we were served and kept right on talking about how wonderful he was. Very rude. We tried not to turn out backs on him while we ate, as this is un-polite, but he didn't know when to leave.....I told my family to go ahead and eat while I listened to him and our food got cold!! We would have preferred he did not stop by at all.... Our server Never came by to check on us. We brought a table of 8 people and no one stopped to check on us even once! We would drive all the way from Galveston and it wasn't unusual to see your neighbor or friends dining there. Now, there were very few tables filled and the majority of the room sat empty on a Friday night! Changes aren't always for the better.. And from the look of things we arent't the only family that is dissapointed and never going back. Change isn't always for the better folks!! Look around.... NAME: J. Reynolds SUBMITTED: 3/2/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/04 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: We came thru Houston en-route to Minneapolis, MN with our two little boys on vacation. We took a chance on this restaurant, and couldn't have been more delighted. The cheese, the bread, the steak, potato and salad were increcible; each. We were the first ones there at opening this particular afternoon. It really made our whole day. The service, perhaps was the only thing even better. We were given a box of that great Swiss Cheese that we had raved about, to take with us for the road. Moreover since I like to cook over Mesquite Wood and its hard to find in Minnesota, the manager appeared at our table with a flourish and introduced himself. He told us that the waiter had told him that we had asked about where to get some in Texas. He then told us that the one of his people were at that moment on the way to another location down the road to get some for us and would be back by the time we were finished eating. Good to his word, and to our amazement, there was a garbage bag full of it waiting for us and then they carried it to our car. There is nothing better I would have ever wanted in my food quality. I only wish I could get steak like that here in Minneapolis because it was quite possibly the best I've ever had. (As was that Swiss). I'd heard they do it big in Texas, but the prices sure were'nt. Just everything else at this restaurant. NAME: Brent Fuller SUBMITTED: 2/16/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: October 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My husband and I have been going to this restaurant for years. Everything was great until our visit 5/31/03 for our 13th wedding anniversary. Nothing was great, not even good. When we went for our 12th anniversay everything was very good. We had a very good waiter. I even called the restaurant a few days later and told the young lady who answered the phone how pleased we were. Something changed after that. We have gone for birthdays, anniversarys, and for no special reason other than go to a nice restaurant. We even went on New Years Eve 1993. The last time was terrible. We are very displeased with the restaurant now. The good restaurants seem to be disappearing. We DO NOT ever plan to go back to this restaurant. NAME: Betty Cook SUBMITTED: 2/10/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/31/03 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Made my last trek here. Items are overpriced. The steaks are 1" cut. Potato was average at best. "seasonal vegetables" meant squash. I HATE squash! Not worth the costs or trouble to return here again.... NAME: Drewsfund SUBMITTED: 2/3/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/30/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Everyone that is reviewing this restaurant from before 2003 need to know it has been sold and is under new ownership. I used to go here several times a year previoulsy and I loved it. The last time I went was under the new ownership and it was awefull. Steak was so tough I could not eat it, poor service, I will not go back. I think you need to think twice about placing a review for a place you have not been to in more than 2-3 years when I see last time you visited was 2000, or 98. Not a very acurate or up to date review of the current restaurant. NAME: fastrock SUBMITTED: 1/3/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Very good restaurant! Waiter was friendly and gave lots of compliments!! Medium well steak was mouht watering , super good! (yum!) I got to swing on the swing and that was a blast! They also have excellent Shirley Temples. I had three! The whole thing was great from the food, the waiters, Miss Kitty, the swing, etc. Everyone in our family LOVES this restaurant and will come back. NAME: SF SUBMITTED: 1/1/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/?/00 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: MY WIFE AND I VISITED ON CHRISTMAS DAY THIS YEAR AND LEFT VERY UNHAPPY. AFTER BEING SEATED WE HAD TO ASK FOR SILVERWARE, NAPKINS, BREADPLATES AND PEPPER. EACH OF THESE REQUEST WERE SEPERATE TRIPS BY THE WAITRESS UNTIL WE FINALY HAD WHAT WE NEEDED TO EAT. 50 MINUTES LATER I ASKED FOR MY BILL AS OUR STEAKS STILL WERE NOT READY. THE GENERAL MANAGER CAME OUT TO CORRECT ME. HE SAID IT HAD ONLY BEEN FORTY SOMETHING MINUTES. I AM SURPRISED THAT A G.M. OF ANY RESTAURANT HANDLE A PROBLEM IN SUCH A WAY. I DO KNOW THAT WE WILL NEVER GO BACK NOR WILL ANY OF OUR FRIENDS. NAME: DOBZNZ SUBMITTED: 12/29/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: december 25th 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I came to the steak house, because it was my last night in America, and my birthday. As soon as i was in, i was stunned, this place was great. The ambiance was friendly and relaxed. I loved that you got a chunk of cheese for starters, the trouble was was full by the time my meal got there. Still i ate it. I had steak, medium rare and again it was delicious. I hadn't known that my family had phoned ahead so i got a crowd singing happy birthday to me with a cake and sparklers, it was lovely! at the end i was able to have swing, i wanted to see if i could kick the bell, but wasn't aloud, hey it was still a blast. Its my favourite restaurant ever. NAME: anne SUBMITTED: 11/26/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 1998 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Everything was fantastic the service the food and the dessert. We had reservations and we were seated immeadiately. We had an excellent waitress who was very attentive. The sirloin steak was cooked to perfection. The onion soup was delicious and extraordinary. This place is a diamond in the rough. NAME: hotel concierge SUBMITTED: 11/3/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 080503 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: we decided to go to old sanfransisco steakhouse beacuse we had heard such great things about it. we were seated immeadatley and the the service was great. the atmosphere was nice. but the food was served by a bus boy and he left the tray of food sitting in the aisle and he walked off.now we figured that our waitress was somewhere near by but she never came back. of course when you are starving and your food is sitting right there you can not help but get a little frustrated. finally after about two minutes, my husband reached over and started to serve the both of us. no one said a word. we then proceeded to eat and the sirloin was so tough i could not chew it. my husbands steak was cold and the potatoe was not cooked through all the way. we were going to say something but i didnt want to get the waitress in trouble. at any rate, the food was way over priced and the food was not good at all. we will not be joining your establishmeant again for a while. NAME: AT SUBMITTED: 10/13/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: sept 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We decided to try this place since we had a coupon from the Entertainment Book, before I read the reviews on this site. I am glad we didn't read the reviews first, because it may have disuaded us from going. I thought the food was decent and the portions very generous. I had the tempura shrimp, which was fresh and well-sized. My boyfriend had the T-bone steak and thought it was above average, cooked just right. Atmosphere is unique....I enjoyed the girl on the swings and the piano player, although there were quite a few breaks in the music. Service was efficient and attentive. The drawback is that I thought the entrees were a bit overpriced, even though the portions were generous, however I would return to this place in the future. NAME: AC SUBMITTED: 8/28/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: August 23, 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I have been going to the Old San Fransico for many years. This time we decided to go for my daughters 21st birthday. What a disaster. I first found out the place has been sold to new owners. Most of us ordered a "Saloon Steak" which was a NY Strip. $28............ I could have gotten a more tender steak at Ryan's for $8. This thing was so tough my daughter could not even cut hers. I told the waitress, she did not seeme to care. Figured we would see the manager but got tired tired of waiting and left. I will never go back. NAME: Glen Glassford SUBMITTED: 8/28/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: After 25 years of patronizing OSF roughly 4 -6 times per year, I have probably made my last visit. We were greeted by a tuxedoed gentleman (new twist) who welcomed us and opened the door. Inside, we were greeted by two new signs, one announcing that OSF was now a "Lifestyle Ventures" establishment (new twist) and a notice that non-employees were no longer allowed on the "swing" (probably insurance-related). Prices had increased about 25% since December. We were charged an extra $6.00 because my daughters wanted to split a large steak, on top of $7.00 for an extra salad and potatao. Prime rib was okay, "Saloon steak" tough and dry (ordered medium). Only one piano player, long breaks. Sad. NAME: Steak Lover SUBMITTED: 8/25/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: ·Onion soup recipe changed for the worse – Onion “container” burned – this was not French Onion soup but a cheap substitution! ·Dinner salad had only lettuce and one wedge of tomato ·Baked potato used to be "dressed" at the table – now they are “dressed” in the kitchen. The potatoes would come out in paper and had surpurb flavor – now they are nothing special. My potato had two (2) bacon bits on it and very little cheese and butter. ·It took over 20 minutes from the time we were done with our salads until our steaks came out. They were not extremely hot so they may have been sitting in the back for awhile. It looks like QUALITY is being sacrificed for cost cutting measures. When my husband and I go out for a $100+ evening meal for a special occasion we expect the food to be high quality. In the past The San Francisco Steakhouse has had high quality and excellent food and to say our disappointment with The San Francisco Steakhouse is great is an under statement. I’m sorry that you have chosen to degrade the restaurant in this way. Also disappointed in the entertainment. You always had two piano players and one always played while another went on break and then they would play together. Saturday night only one person was there and at first break there was no music and for his second break there was canned music. Also letting the children swing has been discontinued. I understand for “insurance purposes”. What a disappointment this is also. We understand that a company called [ ] has taken ownership of the restaurant. I have been unable to find an email address for them and the Houston restaurant does NOT have a way to communicate via email either. I went out on the web site and could not get my comments to go – kept getting an error that there was no email address attached to web site. NAME: Sheri SUBMITTED: 8/11/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/9/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: The atmosphere was wonderful. The deco brought you back to an old west saloon w/ a piano on stage & a high flying "Miss Kitty" swingning around & ringing a bell on the ceiling. Appetizers were delicious, escargot are wonderful. The big hunk a' cheese @ the table w/ the bread is quite an amusing, & delicious, substitute for the usual crackers & butter. Steaks were quite good, nothing out of this world but a nice flavor & presentation. All in all, the entire experience is worth the tab. The atmosphere is different from most any place you've ever been & the food is very good. This place offers an atmosphere suitable for family night out or business meetings. I'll be back! NAME: L. L. SUBMITTED: 7/19/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is where my husband wants to eat every year for the past 15 for his birthday. The steaks are delicious. The shrimp scampi should be passed up. My husband loves the bananas foster even thought they don't prepare it at the table anymore. The only problem we have is with seating. By this time I know to request the room with the girl on the swing. The past five years the hostess tried to seat us in the side room. When we told her we requested the other room, we were taken to the table with the worst service. Complaining to management didn't matter. I guess they think we're honored to be there. NAME: S SUBMITTED: 6/16/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 6-02 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY