Broadway Prime - Steakhouse, Burlingame

1316 Broadway Ave, Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 558-8801
Parking: street parking
Hours: 5pm-10pm Daily
http://www.broadwayprime.com/


Last Visited: June 2, 2019

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$

Open since 2000, I figured it was a safe bet since it's still here and my workplace often sends visitors here.  Like most steakhouses, the menu is pretty simple offering various cuts of prime rib, steak, and one option each for those eating fish and vegetarians.

I chose to go here because getting a weekend reservation at House of Prime Rib would take too much time and effort, and I wanted my last supper before my elimination diet started to contain just about everything that I wouldn't be able to eat for a couple of months.  As expected, the reservation part was easy and since it's Burlingame, there is a lot of parking along Broadway.

Each entree comes with salad and a two sides - potato of your choice: baked potato, mashed potatoes, or roasted garlic mashed potatoes and other choice of creamed spinach or creamed corn.  You also get a baked popover.

When we arrived, we were quickly seated and given cold forks (nice nod to the old school) and warm french bread.  The salad, which they call their 'fresh salad with our special dressing,' is romaine or iceberg lettuce (depending on when you go) with beets and hard boiled eggs.  The dressing is reminiscent of thousand island.  It's not anything to write home about, especially since iceberg doesn't hold up to this quantity of dressing well, but not bad.  One member of our party can't eat raw foods, so he skipped it and just got a little more potato.

The popover was hot and good.  Crusty outside, soft inside - buttery in taste.  It arrived right before the prime rib was brought to the table.  All potato dishes were served on small plates and also came separate from the prime rib which is located at the front of the restaurant.

I chose the Peninsula cut, which is the smallest prime rib choice available, creamed spinach, and a baked potato.  The prime rib was good - not the best you'll ever have, but it's what you expect - good au jus and it came with the doneness as we ordered it - the photo shows the pink meat as is expected for medium doneness. While it looks a little thin coming out (my eyes are always bigger than my stomach), after eating all of the sides along with the meat, I was amply full. You can always go for the larger cuts too - the select cut (most common choice) and Broadway cut (thick cut which can be served sliced, English style) are also available.  The creamed spinach was tasty and the baked potato was perfectly fine - it came with sour cream, butter, bacon, and chives. $40

Service is fine - friendly and they check on you mid-meal, but it's not House of Prime Rib, and if you expect it to be, you'll be sorely disappointed.  The salad is not made table-side, and you don't get that very old school San Francisco feel of HoPR, but it's also more convenient, so just know what you're getting into.  One thing they did well is that when they noticed that much of our party had gone to wash their hands when we arrived, they waited until everyone got back before bringing resuming their service.

While I wouldn't say Broadway Prime is a must visit place, at its price point and considering how easy it is to find parking and a reservation, it's fine.  For me, it's just above three stars in all categories, but I'll let you decide for yourself.  It hit the spot and served its purpose - I enjoyed a decent prime rib and was happily full at the end of it all.

House of Prime Rib - San Francisco

1906 Van Ness Street, San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 885-4605
Parking: street and valet parking
Hours: Mon - Thurs 5:30pm - 10pm, Fri 5pm - 10pm, Sat-Sun 4pm - 10pm

Last Visited: June 30, 2011

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$$

The House of Prime Rib is legendary in San Francisco.  Located on Van Ness Street, I've passed by it for years.  They're about serving well-marbled prime rib in the English tradition, carved at your table. Even the dining area is decorated in English style - very cozy, classy, and very traditional with large elegant paintings and decorations, lots of dark wood, and candles.  Established in the 1940s, it's an institution. 

Getting reservations to this place can be quite tricky, so book early.  It's a little more flexible if you're able to visit during a weekday.  I managed to get a reservation within 48 hours since I took the earliest time available.  When I arrived, food service hadn't started yet, so they seated us in the bar area and we were given Japanese rice crackers in a little carafe and asked if we would like a drink.  While it was nice to be given a snack to start, I do wonder how Japanese rice crackers fit into the English tradition.  Either way, you won't be thinking about that for very long because once you start your meal, you feel like you've entered into another world and experience.

Before getting started, it's important to know that unless you're a kid, dinner is going to run around $50 per person or more if you choose to order drinks or dessert.  With that in mind, the expectations are high, but House of Prime Rib really is a cut above the rest.

A server took us to our seat and asked how my name was pronounced.  What a nice personal touch!   He was very pleasant and after learning that it was our first visit, he told us to be sure to let the waiter know.  Once we were seated, a round of hot bread on its own cutting board arrived with a knife standing straight up in the middle of the bread.  The waiter arrived and asked us if we had been before.  When we told him that we had not, he gave us the full explanation about the various cuts and that every cut except for the City Cut came with an additional helping that had to be enjoyed at the restaurant.  Everything else was simple - a choice of creamed corn or creamed spinach and a choice of baked or mashed potato.  Salad comes with all meals.

Here is what is on the menu:

- City Cut - A smaller cut for the lighter appetite - $35.45
- House of Prime Rib Cut - $37.85
- English Cut - Thinly sliced prime rib - $37.85
- King Henry VIII Cut - Extra generous thick cut of prime beef - $39.85
- Children's Prime Rib Dinner - $11.45
- Fresh fish is also available

The salad comes layered in a stainless bowl over ice and the waiter may do a little show for you. While some servers are fairly low key about it, our server enjoyed spinning the bowl and adding the seasoning salt at the table and taking the tureen of cherry wine vinaigrette dressing high up in the air and drizzling it into the bowl.  The salad contains chopped egg, chopped beets, pimentoes, and romaine lettuce.  After drizzling the dressing, he tossed the salad and divided it between the cold salad plates and warned us to leave room for the main dish.  If you enjoy a slightly sweeter salad, this is really good and refreshing.  For those with a small appetite, you may be overwhelmed by the quantity of the salad.

While we were enjoying the salad, a server came and brought us hot corn bread that had been cooked in a pan with molds shaped like corn.  The bread was delicious.

We both ordered the House of Prime Rib Cut.  The picture above shows what it looks like.  The picture below shows the same cut with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and Yorkshire pudding.

The prime rib comes on a large metal cart with a round cover.  When they unveil the prime rib, you see several large mounds of meat standing before you.  A separate area within the cart holds the creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  The chef slices your prime rib, pours on the au jus, and serves you this wonderful cut of meat.  The meat was super tender and I loved how the edge was extremely juicy.  

The mashed potatoes and gravy seem fairly standard.  The creamed spinach is very flavorful from lots of timy pieces of bacon - probably what doesn't get used from the baked potato toppings.  We preferred the creamed spinach over the creamed corn.  As we started in on the prime rib, the skillet containing the fluffy Yorkshire pudding arrived and each skillet holds two to three servings depending on how many are at your table.  The server divided the Yorkshire pudding and placed it on top of the meat. The creamed corn was creamy and served on the side, but not the best that I've had.  Just okay.  It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but the baked potato is pretty massive.  They load it with bacon and offer you butter, sour cream, and chives.  Of course, I had to have them all.  The potato is enough to be a meal in itself, especially for those with smaller appetites.  Those pieces at the bottom of the plate are all real chopped bacon bits.  Delicious!  It's so full of flavor. 

Throughout our meal, our server checked on us at least once and the owners of the place came by to see how we were enjoying our dinner.  While some may think these older gentlemen are due for retirement, you'll find they seem to enjoy wandering and checking on their clientele.

If you still have room for dessert, that's available on a separate menu, but I ended up taking a portion of my prime rib and potato home for the next day.  The prime rib leftovers made an awesome sandwich and the rest of the potato left me stuffed.

House of Prime Rib is a great stop for delicious prime rib.  Nobody should ever go away from this place hungry.  Service was impeccable, leaning heavlily on the formal side at the host's desk and bar, and along the lines of what you get on five star cruiseships.  Our server, Manolo, was professional and friendly. While it's not a place I can afford to go to everyday, House of Prime Rib is worthy of a stop if you're in town, celebrating a special occasion, or just love a good prime rib.

Boca - Argentinian Steak House, Novato

Best Happy Hour Bar Food Value

340 Ignacio Blvd, Novato CA 94949

(415) 883-0901
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4:30-6:30pm, Dinner Mon-Sat 5pm-10pm, Sun 5pm-9pm

http://www.bocasteak.com/

Last Visited: September 9, 2010

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: Bar 2 to 3 stars, Restaurant 3 to 4 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars

Price: Happy Hour $, Regularly $$$ to $$$$

Josh told me about the happy hour value of burgers and fries for $5 at Boca and that was enough to get me to take a look at their menu and website. While I've now been to Boca for lunch twice, the prices are a bit high for dinner, but the best value is going during happy hour and making a meal out of the numerous choices from their bar menu. I've also done this twice. If you love eating tapas, this is the perfect opportunity for you to have a similar experience.

Enter Boca, and while the dimly lit dining room and outdoor patio are available for regular dining, you can also enjoy some good food in their bar area, immediately left of the entrance. This smaller room includes several high tables and stools, regular tables mostly for two, and a sofa as well if you prefer a cozier feeling. While it markets itself as a steak house with Argentinian roots, they also have a lot of seafood available, much of which is offered grilled.

Prices for items offered during happy hour are listed following the regular bar menu price.

- Empanadas - These come two pieces to an order in a basket with a side dipping sauce/salsa. Today, we tried lamb, pine nuts, onions, roasted red pepper empanadas. They are piping hot, with a very savory filling, and are very flavorful. Other choices of fillings include zucchini, tomato and manchego cheese; chorizo, potato, and sour cream, and there are a couple of other choices that may change by season. If you enjoy little pastries, while the dough is a little thicker than some, it's a good snack. $7.50/$3.75

- Classic Caesar Salad - If you love caesar salads like I do, this is a great one. Whole romaine hearts that are chilled, dressed, topped with lots of fresh parmesan, and two anchovies are served with a couple of croutons. It's a terrific salad and at the happy hour price, how can you not enjoy it? Delicious. $8/$4

- Roasted Clams & Mussels - Served in a smoked tomato and fennel stock, this is one of the biggest dishes I've ever seen for an appetizer plate - practically a meal within itself. It also comes with a few large croutons made of sliced bread served standing amidst the sea of clams and mussels. The only caveat is that you must like fennel. I wish this dish was available with a white wine stock or any other stock without the fennel because the bitterness was so overpowering that I almost stopped eating the clams and mussels - borderline unbearable for me. The portions are outrageously generous, especially at the happy hour price - when can you get this much seafood for under six bucks? However, get this only if you're a fan of fennel - consider yourself warned. $10.95/$5.50

- Boca Burger and Fries - As Josh said, this is one of the best deals in town. At $5 during happy hour, this ground sirloin burger topped with melted cheese, a grilled tomato slice, fresh pickles and lettuce served on a toasted bun is a steal. Don't forget those awesome duck-fat fries (normally going for $5 as a side when it's not happy hour) which are sure to please. Those fries are one of the best things about Boca - when they're hot, they're super crispy and wonderful. Good enough for a meal on its own. $10/$5

- Crispy Calamari - I love calamari. This one is served on a platter with a lemon cilantro aioli. Lightly battered, nicely seasoned, it's a winner for me. Again, what a great value. $8/$4

- Gambas al Ajillo - This is one of the most common Spanish tapas dishes. Five wood-oven roasted prawns are cooked in a spicy garlic-lime cilantro butter sauce and served with two large croutons. It's a bit weird to have both these prawns on the menu and the prawn skewers listed too. In my opinion, they should eliminate one of these from the bar menu and offer the prawns in order to earn the most revenue from their menu. Since I had eaten the caesar salad beforehand, I'm not sure if my tastebuds had already been overwhelmed by garlic, but while these tasted good, I wouldn't have said they were strong on the garlic flavor. More garlic flavor, at least after the salad, would have still been good. The first impression I had when these arrived at our table was that the sauce looked a little too shiny (all that olive oil). I probably would opt to try other dishes rather than get this one again if I went back. $12/$6

Skewers

- Fresh Fish of the Day - Marinated in lime, cilantro, garlic, today's fish was salmon. It was served with a sweet chili sauce. The fish was cooked very nicely - tender on the inside without being too dry. A shaved cucumber salad is served with the skewers. The cucumber salad is refreshing, but not as good as the pickled cucumbers that you find in Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. Good. $8/$3.95

- Prawns - Marinated in lime, cilantro, garlic, the prawns were also served with a sweet chili sauce. Again, I think either this or the Gambas al Ajillo should be removed from the bar menu to maximize value and besides, they're seemingly a lot alike. These tended to come out a little dry, so I would opt for fish skewers instead of prawn skewers if ordering skewers again. These also came with the same cucumber salad described above. $8/$3.95

- Dungeness Crab Cake Sandwich - A crab cake is cooked and served on a toasted bun spread with remoulade along with tomato and lettuce. I was with a large party the day that I ordered this for lunch and while at least three of us had ordered the crab cake sandwich, each one was unfortunately not consistent. One of the crab cakes itself was slightly burnt and the bun was slightly burnt. Mine was fortunately fine, but the fact that they're not all the same shows that the kitchen could use some refinement in their cook times. In terms of flavor, I found it to be a good sandwich, but not wow. $12.95

- Grilled Flat Iron Steak Sandwich - During my most recent visit, I ordered this flat iron steak sandwich cooked until medium and then sliced. It was served with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, chipotle mayo and of course, duck-fat fries. All of the ingredients were fresh and the sandwich was good, but not wow. $12.95

During most of my visits for lunch, I've come to Boca with parties of eight or more people. Although service is attentive when they are with you, it tends to be slow in terms of the time between sitting down and ordering. It's also slow between ordering and serving of the food. During my most recent large group visit, the coffee was cold according to one dining companion. In general, it just seemed like they took their time in coming back which for me, isn't what I'm looking for during the lunch hour when we need to be back at work.

As for the bar service, service is always efficient, but the bar tends to get packed more the closer you get to Friday. Also, the closer you are to dinner time, the more people will be stuffed into the room. Since I like to order many dishes to try, the small tables are insufficient for the large plates that come and servers do not come frequently enough to remove plates, even when we sat near the entrance to the room where all the servers pass. The food does not come out at an even pace - it may take one dish a long time to come out, then you get a few more items, and the last item will take another 20 minutes or more to arrive. One thing I do like is that I have never felt attitude from the servers when I didn't order wine or spirits. That's certainly appreciated. In general, service could use some work, but try the happy hour at Boca and enjoy good food at a great value.