Hungry?
No reason to tease you: this is the plate of prime rib that is created at your table – let’s dig in to one of San Francisco’s greatest dining adventures!
It was a glorious winter day in San Francisco, and after the obligatory walk along the Embarcadero, and out onto a pier to look back at the city, we headed to this legendary house of meat:
Welcome to The House Of Prime Rib!
The neon sign greets you from Van Ness Avenue – and once inside, you are not only impressed by just how big the restaurant is – and it’s always packed – but the giant carving cart that awaits you as well:
Yes, we’ll see that in action soon.
The original House of Prime Rib opened in 1949 and Owner Joe Betz turned it into a San Francisco institution!
The menu has a classic feel to it, and as they proudly boast:
The House of Prime Rib serves well-marbled Prime Rib in the English Tradition. Pure Prime Rib is carved at your table, to your specifications, from our unique stainless steel carts. We serve only the best beef available, the top 2% of all beef marketed.
Here is their philosophy, clearly laid out for you:
We’ll explain more about this menu soon. Next up, a primer on their “carving” – and the menu!
THE CARVING MUST BE DEFT, AND “SHORT THE TIME FROM CART TO PLATE”. OUR ROASTS ARE CARVED TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL ORDER AND IN YOUR VIEW. FROM OUR SPECIALLY BUILT CARTS, AND SERVED PIPING HOT.
And as you will see, that is true!
Here are your food options:
That’s it – that’s what they serve! Oh, but every meal comes with all of this as well – read all about it:
Yes, this is a complete meal! Here’s what comes with your prime rib – first, let’s watch the fun in action!
The Salad Bowl : A colorful mixture of healthy, crisp, seasonal greens prepared at your table, tossed in our unique house dressing.
Mashed Potatoes : A generous steaming helping of the all American favorite, served with thick brown gravy.
Or Baked Potato : A superior sized Idaho potato served with butter and sour cream, with a sprinkle of chives.
Yorkshire Pudding : Straight from merry olde England! Light, airy batter baked to a golden brown dome, with a fluffy interior to soak up those savory beef juices.
Creamed Spinach : A light dish of garden spinach whipped with fresh cream and pieces of bacon.
Fresh Cream of Horseradish Sauce
Now THAT’S a complete meal!
We had to start with a classic first: their Martini, served up in a large shaker that stays with you at the table for a second serving…ice cold, delicious and a perfect start to the meal…
There’s the “spinning salad” on the late and it was delicious! The ingredients were perfectly chilled and their special dressing was tangy and crisp as well. Let’s see it spin again:
As soon as I finished, I headed over for a look at what was to come:
Behold The Legendary Stainless Steel Prime Rib Carving Cart!
It’s half the size of a small car – and the Chef who works it is a master with the prime rib:
The cart is wheeled up and the slicing begins: and your Waiter joins in to add your side dishes to your plate before it is expertly slid in front of you:
I got the “House Of Prime Rib Cut” – and was lucky enough to have it served “on the bone”…then the Waiter begins the process of completing the plate: in my case, the Yorkshire Pudding was laid on top!
I ordered the “loaded” baked potato, a massive spud that was dressed for me table side of course: bacon, chives, butter and sour cream!
My wife Alex had “The City Cut” with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, and here’s what her plate looked like:
We all dug in, and it was a perfect meal: the meat was tender, juicy and full of flavor. The potato was monstrous and perfectly cooked, and the creamed spinach was full of flavor and not overwhelmed by cream or butter – a perfect blend.
Oh and guess what? As the menu says, they stop by to see if you need to be “topped off” with a few more ounces of meat!
Yes, they wheel the cart by in case you need more!
We were too full for desserts, and if you look again at the menu, you’ll see something else that is shocking: the prices!
Yes, when we were there this entire meal was less than $50 before drinks! While a bit more today, “House Of Prime Rib” serves classic food in a terrifically entertaining environment – at a great price!
Bravo to the House Of Prime Rib for a great meal!
San Francisco is a food-lovers city: one of the greatest in the world…and as I showed you, you can eat really well for a reasonable price!
Behold The “Crab-santhemum!”
This incredible dish of fresh Dungeness Crab is arranged to look like a flower – and it’s served at The Swan Oyster Depot – located less than a mile from the House Of Prime Rib!
It’s an incredible restaurant that has lines down the block all day and night – click here to see how we discovered – and ate – their “secret menu!”
And if you are in San Francisco, there are two things you MUST do, beginning with this very windy boat ride across San Francisco Bay:
Here’s a look inside the prison cells too – enjoy!
And of course, take a drive over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge as well!
Here’s what it was like when we did it:
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Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Eat This!, Fine Dining, Food, Food Travel, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
I’m not a huge meat eater, but I do love a nice and rare prime rib!!!
Wow
Having enjoyed more than a few elegant roast beef dinners in London-town this perchance is a little too ‘American’ for me 🙂 ! A tad too big and too much. A few slices of rare beef, a small baked potato, a flower-pot-shaped small Yorkshire pudding and a good strong horseradish on the side . . . with an elegant dry red . . . more my style methinks . . . but glad you enjoyed 🙂 !
I’m sure I remember this post john, as the meat is far too rare for me. I couldn’t eat meat that raw (though my wife would) and I would have to ask for my portion to be ‘cooked’. 😊
Shared on Twitter. Best wishes, Pete.
That is a MASSIVE serving of prime rib you had, I hope they let you take the leftovers home! It looks very tender, and so juicy. A very memorable meal indeed.