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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"I absolutely loved this place. I came here with one of my very good friends to treat him for a nice bday dinner. Uh, NO - Cheesecake…" read more »
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Recently I went to Town Hall for a dinner with the bf.
Here's the deal:
Town Hall offers an array of modern American dishes as well as traditional Southern fare. I ordered the pan seared scallops and they were perfectly cooked and paired with butternut squash puree. I highly recommend this dish. We also wanted to try something different so we opted for a side of the smoked andouille jambalaya. It was good, but my main dish was definitely the star!
Overall, great, attentive service and nice ambiance. Since we ate there close to Halloween they added showcased a nice, festive spin on lighting: creative jackolanterns all aglow.
So my friend Vickie asked me to come here since she loves it here. Usually she comes here once a month so I figure that it must be decent. So sit down...look at the menu and it's a one page seasonal menu which is nice. I'm always a fan of the simplified menu...and I noticed that they had a scallops dish with risotto and they had Cowgirl Creamery fondue appetizer. The scallops were baby scallops but tasty and he risotto was a bit on the crunchy side than I preferred. Maybe a little too crunchy...as for the fondue, it didn't really wow me. I heard that this brand does excellent cheese but perhaps the kind they used for the fondue really didn't come over well. The taste seemed off for an aged white cheese.
And of course the noise level...we ate at 9pm but still the noise in the place was still at ear deafening levels akin to rock concerts and sporting events. Our service was good as they brought out our main courses after we finished our starters.
All in all, a decent place to go for a group meal if you don't mind the noise. They have the 4% surcharge here added to your meal FYI so don't be surprised to see it.
I came here more than a year ago and ordered some salmon dish (not on the dinner menu anymore?) and a glass of wine. The salmon was tasty, but a little undercooked for my liking. I'll get sushi if I want raw fish.
The glass of white wine almost made me vomit half hour after we left the restaurant. I felt like I was going through menopause with the onset of hot flashes and my face turning unnaturally red. I forced myself to keep the food down, however, knowing my friends spent 30-something dollars on my mediocre meal.
I may come back here and order a meat dish, sans any type of alcoholic beverage.
While the food might be excellent, it does no good if you can't get it. Last night was at Cirque du Soleil and had 11PM reservations at Town Hall (made via OpenTable). The show was great and when we got out we raced to get to dinner. We were starving. Got prime parking in front of the restaurant. Walk in only to be told the kitchen was closed. What? I had reservations via OpenTable. "Didn't anybody tell you the kitchen would be closed?" What? Who would have told me? Why do you show kitchen open on OpenTable? I'm done with Town Hall. Too bad.
How is it I've never written a review of Town Hall? I was there a couple of nights ago with a buddy… Read more »
Let's just say - "I was not impressed"
Food was okay..., beer was good, waiter was good
So I only went once, and I know that having just one dish on one visit isn't really good enough for an overall review. Here's what I do know: This place had the BEST buttermilk fried chicken that I've ever had in my life. That alone get 4 stars.
Finally made it into Town Hall before going to a concert after hearing from a number of people that it was their favorite restaurant in the city. I got a reservation through OpenTable on a Wednesday for Saturday, so that part was quick and painless. We were running a little behind because of traffic, so I called ahead let the hostess know, which she appreciated.
Any way, dinner was fantastic and the service was excellent. Our waitress pointed out an excellent bottle of wine and was spot on with her recommendations. I started with the jambalaya, 'cause rice and sausage with a little kick is pretty much my favorite food. For the main course, I went with the fried chicken. They presented me with two breasts and a leg, mashed potatoes with gravy and some greens.
When the plate arrived, I declared there was no way I could finish it all, but guess what? My inner fat bastard declared war and won! You know that perfect, delicious fried chicken when the skin is just right and it's a little salty and the meat is juicy? That just happened.
My compatriot also declared his ribeye to be one of the best steaks he's ever had. I didn't try it so I can't confirm, but I'm just sayin'.
Also, great mixed drinks and I really enjoyed the atmosphere - definitely will be back.
It has been quite a while since I have been here(about a year) but the one thing that stood out was the great service. For that alone, it earns 3 stars but I also remember some really exquisitely seasoned pork chops. The chef does a great job of integrating not so common ingredients with everyday type fare. One of the true San Francisco eating experiences. Maybe this place earned 5 stars, Ill have to go back and see.
I will give 5 stars for the beautiful and elegant yet casual dining room and the DELICIOUS butternut squash soup.
HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, the gulf shrimp, Anson Mills grits, and scallions and Creole-bacon demi was just TERRIBLE. The grits tasted gross and the shrimp did not look very appetizing. The presentation was so very amateurish with the shrimp just circling the plate. I don't expect to come back again. Sorry, I don't see it.
Overall, the food, service, and atmosphere were great.
Minus 1 star for over-salting everything...
BBQ Shrimp app: Delicious sauce! I wanted to lick the plate, even though it would've been akin to a salt lick...
Scallops w/ Butternut Squash puree & brussel sprouts: perfection.
Fried Chicken: Good, not too greasy, but nothing special. I prefer the fried chickies at Blue Plate!
Butterscotch + Chocolate Pot de Creme: my favorite dish of the night! It is sinful and smooth...and huge! We weren't able to finish it, although I really really wanted to...
Service: Excellent
Atmosphere: loud, crowded, and energetic....love it!
This was a nice place we went to for lunch a week ago.
I cannot say any of what I had was memorable ,
The salad was simple & good , it looked a lot bigger than what it was
the steak was well prepared but the sauce / reduction was a little heavy & thick
the deserts we got 3 were all good the pot o creme was the best of the lot.
the rest rooms were ok, nothing special..but the hall/stairs going up to them smelled like horse manure ? EEEEEKK !!!
the dining room was also LOUD & we were there for a 1.30 lunch & the place was not even half full...take your ear plugs if you go at peak times.
I don't know what happened.
The service was great - very friendly and helpful!
Then my friend and I had dark and stormys, split some oysters, the toast with the egg on top and creme jalepeno sauce, the fried chicken, and the scallops, a bottle of wine and the butterscotch pot de creme.
Then I woke up the following day.
I shall be back!
Solid comfort food. ribs, fried chicken, potatoes, etc.
great big brick building with high ceilings and there is space on the second floor for private parties. Service was pretty good too.
The food just was missing a little something. The ribeye tasted like it had been flatted with a mallet then doused in a bbq type of sauce. It came with supposedly marrow potatoes but couldn't really taste the difference. and the brown betty came out cold.. Bummer.
Went here with my bf and his mom last week and it was amazing. We sat at the bar at first and had drinks while waiting for a table. I would probably recommend making a reservation. We went at like 8 on a random weekday and it was packed.
For food:
BBQ Shrimp: the gravy/sauce used is the best!
Scallops: mmmmmmmm
Fried Chicken: if you like fried chicken this is what you should get
Everything was great. I will definitely be returning and trying other dishes!
we came promptly for our 8:30pm reservation but still had to wait a while before they could seat us ... not sure why ... then we had to wait 15-20 minutes before our waitress came to greet us or give us water. that definitely soured the experience a bit. not sure why she didnt tend to us but i did notice she went to other tables who sat down at about the same time as us first and maybe twice before getting to us. maybe we look young? not sure.
the soup of the day which was parsnip and something else i cant remember was pretty good. i liked it. beet salad with goat cheese crouton also good. i had the scallops and they had sand in them! they tasted very good and were cooked perfectly. but sand? yuck! by the end of the meal i was so full that i had the hiccups.
bf ordered the ribeye which the waitress recommended. of course the most expensive thing on the menu. i wonder if wait staff training includes a session of "always recommend the [most expensive thing on the menu]" that seems to be the trend.
Lovely food, service and setting. The decor is very enjoyable, and the waiters are really attentive. Sometimes the owner even comes around asking how your meal was. He might tell you something interesting about that night's dishes.
I had a seafood risotto (not the actual name) type of dish the most recent time I went there, and it was tasty! My boyfriend had ribs and they were DELICIOUS. Their menu offers interesting selections, with spins on classic dishes. Very nice!
A great place to wine and dine, to see and be seen, but I wouldn't cry about it if I couldn't eat there.
This place is simply phenomenal all the way around. Enough said.
Came here recently. I kept driving by this place on the way home and always thought it looked really warm and inviting. We came without a reservation and they found us a table right away. Not that they had no business, but the place is pretty big.
The interior IS warm and nicely lit. There's just enough lighting too what you're eating, and give people a nice candle-lit glow.
The space is flanked by two brick walls in a long and narrow space.
The bread was great. Though not heated (I like warm bread), it's still moist with a slight chewy bite to it and crunchy on the outside ... just the way I like 'em. Aside from the texture, it also has nice flavor. My dining companion and I polished off two baskets of 'em.
We each had a salad (butter lettece with candied walnuts, apples and blue cheese; beet salad with fried goat cheese). They both came out looking amazing. The butter lettece was dressed and stacked pretty high with the walnuts and apple "sticks" on top. While it looks great and all, it's hard to mix them together with this big stack of ingredients. Flavor-wise, it's quite good, it's unfortunate that the apples weren't really sweet enough to complement the punginess of the blue cheese. The beet salad was also pretty good. The beets were a bit "muddy tasting" but that's probably more of a seasonal thing. The piece of goat cheese, however was quite delightful. It was covered with panko and deep fried. When you bite into it, you get some gooey melted goat cheese with a bit of crunchy panko. All in a nice warm bite.
We had the bacon wrapped trout and day boat scallops for our entrees. The trout was an interesting choice as its flesh is usually pretty sweet and delicate. While I love anything with bacon, I found that its smokiness was too heavy-handed and overpowered the trout. The day boat scallops came on some chantrell mushrooms, brussel sprouts and over a puree of sweet potatoes. The flavor of the mushrooms was almost non-existent, the brussel sprouts were great, the sweet potato puree was really rich. One of the scallops was a bit over cooked (just a bit, but still ok ... it's more of a looks thing). I found it unusual that they had only seared one side of them, not both top and bottom. Perhaps they don't have a burner with enough btu???
We skipped dessert.
Overall, it's a nice meal and one that I enjoyed. But for the price, I think I can do better elsewhere.
BTW, if they seat you toward the end of the dining room, go use the washrooms first. It's quite a trek to get back there.
Finally went to town hall after hearing about it for years. I had the beet salad which was great to start, my husband had the roquefort/pecan salad which was also great. The entrees were good but not great. My husband had the ribs and I had the bay scallops. I always forget that the bay scallops are the tiny little ones and that annoys me when restaurants use these, so that was a bit of a bummer but they were cooked properly and not overdone so they tasted good. The truffled mac & cheese was to die for, awesome awesome awesome. Lastly we had the chocolate & butterscotch pot de creme, it was literally the most delicious finale to a meal ever. So scrumptious! mmmmmm
Service was great at the beginning but then our waitress totally disappeared forever during the middle of our meal. Nothing too distressing but just odd. Great wine list & awesome desserts.
I'd go back again, but there are other places I'd prefer to go before TH, such as Frascati or A16. I'm just glad we had a gift card from a friend, or it would have been a much more expensive meal.
I came here last week for a work event of appetizers and drinks and am lucky enough that I can walk there from work and avoid parking (as you will have to contend with expensive parking meters...ugh). When I came in for the event we were told it was upstairs - i never even knew there was an upstairs. It's a good space for events of 30 people or so, and we had our own private bartender (nice!).
the appetizers are yummy and the wine selection was pretty good. i really liked the upstairs area, very private and intimate. i can't wait to come back for dinner.
The perfect example for why you must surround yourself exclusively with culinary-adventurous friends and colleagues.
The Town Hall menu is robust and downright droolworthy with each item sounding more fantastic, inventive and satiating then the next... Cornmeal Fried Oysters?! Buttermilk Biscuits with Country Ham and Peach Jam?! Crispy Squash Blossoms?! Roasted Veal Meatballs?! Molasses Lacquered Quail?! I've died and gone to fat kid heaven! Now why, you ask, should that be a problem? Well technically, it isn't, but I can't logistically consume it all myself (a girl only has two stomachs, you know) and need an able and willing partner(s) to conquer and devour with me... just not on this trip. Le Sad. My dining coworker bud was not only uneager to share one of everything but limited by being a) preggers and b) totally afraid of anything that didn't sound like White Castle. F'n Midwesterners!
I did my best with a bad (and less fat - at least there's *that* silver lining) situation and got the pleasure of sampling the following.................
WINE // Meritage // Orin Swift Cellars Napa, CA '07 // Lovely, juicy wine chosen from an extensive list... Vino enthusiasts shall not be disappointed at TH.
STARTERS // Oysters on a Half Shell // Miyagi Oysters // my three succulent oysters were perfect, small, sweet aphrodisiacal loveliness in every way possible. Loved the vinegary mignonette coupled with the fresh, salty backbite of the Miyagis.
SALADS // Butter Lettuce, Fuji Apples, Candied Walnuts, Pt Reyes Bleu Cheese Dressing // Would never have been my first choice (uh, you read those above items, right?), but it was absolutely as solid of an execution as this incarnation of a very ubiquitous salad could be. Nice portion for sharing, too!
MAIN COURSES // Alaskan Halibut, Corn Macque Choux, English Peas, Fava Beans, Bay Shrimp Bourride // A really phenomenally prepared dish. A generous serving of perfectly crisped, flaky, delicate halibut coupled with the sweetness of the corn and a subtle smattering of peas made for a really delightful flavor profile. The texture contrast of the tiny bay shrimp against the hearty fava beans made for funtime in the mouth too, which is never a bad thing.
MAIN COURSES // Peanut Tasso Crusted Pork Chop, Spicy Dirty Rice, Fava Beans and Ham Hock Pepper Jelly // Incomparable. No, Really. Best Pork Chop of all time. Huge, on-the-bone pork chop that oozes rich moistness and worships your taste buds with a blast of meaty lovin' from the pork, spicy from the rice and sweetness from the peanut tasso... a total guys' guy dish, and surely why I adored it.
DESSERT // Butterscotch & Chocolate Pot de Créme // I've seen this dish repetitiously throughout y'alls Yelps. I get it. There is nothing more decadent and secretly satisfying than eating what appears to be butterscotch pudding atop fudge frosting straight from a cereal bowl.
Town Hall, I'm impressed and pleased... your bustling bar, your popular ticket as an absolute hot spot, your superior service and of course, that menu! Next time I vow to bring a few extra mouths aka the 'fab foodie army' to help with my mission of bigger, better, faster, more. I can tell... you're so much more than a pork chop.
Ah SoMa...you offer so much delicious food I'm running out of adjectives to describe all these places. Let's see what kind of praise I can lay out for Town Hall.
Walking in, the first thing you see is the bar and the very clean Southern look of the space. White walls, candle-like lights, wood, brick, and copper. It's all very eye pleasing and the space is fairly well laid out. If there's a downside, it's just that it really is a town hall type room and it can get very loud in there. An eery silence fell on the room at one point but everyone noticed and felt awkward so they started to talk louder.
Service, as expected from a restaurant of this caliber was very good. Finished dishes never sat at our table for more than a minute and drinks were always full/constantly being replaced without having to ask. Our waitress was friendly but not intrusive and had a very good knowledge of the menu.
On to the food:
Tuna Tartare - mmm, this was one of the best tuna tartares I've ever had hands down. And I HATE HATE HATE tomatoes of any kind unless they're in sauce form, but I was actually able to eat the fried green tomatoes with the tuna and it was actually enjoyable.
Buttermilk Biscuits - some of the best biscuits I've ever had. I always found savory sweet combos like ham+jelly strange, but I gobbled it up like no tomorrow. Sorry to my mom and aunt for not saving any for you! Warm, buttery, with ham that bordered on prosciutto, and a peppery jam *Homer drool*. I just wish they weren't bite size so I didn't have to eat the entire plate myself....hah I'd still eat the whole plate if they were bigger.
Fried Oysters - These were just ok to me...I'm not a big fan of oysters cause of the texture. Frying them only makes me think I'm biting into a crunchy human brain (sick I know...I have issues I guess), but my mom and aunt said they were good so don't listen to me on these.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken - SOOO good. The skin was perfectly fried to a golden wrapper of AMAZING while the inside was perfectly moist and tender. I know this is a nice restaurant but I definitely went uncivilized on this bird and ate it like I hadn't seen food in ten years. Even our waitress said she was impressed with how clean my leftover pile of bones was....heh was that a complement or a subtle insult at my barbaric eating? Don't care, I was happy.
Our other two entrees were specials that evening of Squab and Jambalaya. The squab was just so-so. It didn't have any southern/homestyle flair, just a plain ole bird that was made very well, but didn't wow any of us. The Jambalaya was awesome though. I wonder why they don't serve it up every night, it'd definitely sell like crazy. To finish we split the chocolate-butterscotch pot de creme. That thing is HUGE for a fine-dining dessert! I wasn't about to complain though, my mom and aunt barely touched it so I begrudgingly took up the task of finishing it *rolls eyes*.
This was definitely one of the best meals I have had in SF and in my various (excessive) outings to SoMa eateries over the summer. Service, food, atmosphere, it was all perfect and very befitting of Town Hall's direction in terms of food and style. Check this place out, you won't regret it. I know I'll be coming back!
The food is amazing here. The service is 4 stars only because its hit or miss. Sometimes its really good and other times its only so-so. The reason it gets 5 stars overall is because of the "to die for" egg toast with Jalapeno Sauce. It may not sound good to most people, but its one of the most unique and tasty dishes I've ever tried. Additionally, if you can afford the extra calories the dessert here is delicious as well.
I took my husband here for his birthday. We both had really great food and friendly service. Started with the beet and goat cheese salad (yum!) and then I ordered the buttermilk fried chicken (light and crispy and full of flavor - not greasy). My husband had a crusted pork chop which he most certainly enjoyed.
as others have written - the butterscotch and chocolate pot de creme is amazing.
What a beautiful restaurant!! The decor/ambiance is very warm and has sort of a holiday-ish feel to it without the cheesyness.
I came in yesterday for lunch and had such a phenomenal time. The service is great and attentive, all smiles from both front and back of house employees.
The food itself is also great. We started off with two cups of butternut squash soup which was rich and creamy. They garnished the soup with pomegranite seeds, julienned persimmons, and even some balsamic. For our entree's my cousin had a butter lettuce salad with bleu cheese dressing and ahi tuna tartare with fried green tomatoes and jalapeno cream. I didn't get to try the salad or the tartare but I had a couple sliced of the tomato and it was TASTY!!! For my entree I had a lemon-seared sole with chorizo-y risotto. I never order fish but it sounded so good and it was!
For dessert we had coffee [comes in a french press so points for cuteness] and the "coffee and donuts" aka espresso ice cream, cookie crumbly bits, and beignets. Dessert was also very, very good.
There is a fair amount of street parking during lunch hours BUT it'll cost you $3.50-$3.75 an hour at the meters :(
Went here for a friend's birthday. Got a duck dish and it was delicious! I like the ambiance and menu although it's a strange mix of comfort food and gourmet.
Take out Review:
All was well, limited menu for the outdoor take out area. We opted for the pulled bbq chicken sandwich and their famous fried chicken sandwich. They were both ok, served on nice crusty rolls with coleslaw, the slaw had a bit too much vinegar in it. The chips were delish, with some kind of bbq seasoning, homemade fo sho. I did not care for the grapefruit lemonade it was way too tart. A-Ok really is an appropriate description.
HOT SPOT CALLING...
Town Hall (a place of gathering) is certainly worth gathering! It's southern comfort food combined with fresh, modern cuisine in a great dining space. Formerly an old ship manufacturing co., the restaurant is warm and inviting with brick walls and soft lighting and chic chandeliers. The restaurant borders between casual and elegant and has a very relaxed vibe. There is plenty of street parking outside the restaurant, which is a rarity in san francisco!
As us 4 girls entered for our 8:45 reservation (yes, I couldn't get one earlier), I realized that perhaps the red dress and oversized black clutch I had with me were perhaps too dressy for fried chicken, but the sophistication of the restaurant was just at the right level to give a gal an excuse to get dressed up!
We arrived a bit early hoping they could seat us earlier and were accomodated so by the friendly front staff who sat us about 20 min's earlier.
Appetizers we ordered included cornmeal fried oysters with spinach puree and bacon, buttermilk biscutis with country ham and peaches, and yellowtail sashimi with melon. For an entree I ordered trout stuffed with crab and also tried the buttermilk fried chicken with gravy and mash potatoes and the scallop dish my friends had ordered. Everything was delicious and we found ourselves finishing every bite on the plates.
My top picks of must orders:
APPETIZERS: The buttermilk biscuits with the country ham and peach compote. The biscuits were too die for and the prosciutto style ham is an interesting pairing, but worked well.
ENTREE: Buttermilk Fried chicken with mash potatoes and gravy. It was crispy without being oily and was perfectly cooked.
Overall, the staff was friendly and helpful. We were dining with a friend who was gluten intolerant and they were able to make some suggestions and check with the chef on ingredients.
Some negatives:
The service was a bit slow on the night we went. It took about 40 min's for our main dishes to arrive after the appetizers.
The bar area is great, but it's small and if you arrive late you won't find a seat. The restaurant itself gets very crowded and crammed. We learned this the hard way.
The acoustics are incredibly loud. It's great for groups, but a bit loud for intimate conversations.
Overall, great place, great food and great atmosphere. It's worth the reservation.
I hadn't been here in ages since the last time I dined was for dinner. It's been so long that I can't recall what I ordered but I did come for lunch the other day and ordered the -
oyster spinach salad - the oysters were awesome!
fish tacos - tasty, but maybe at this point i had too much seafood since i devoured the oysters
butterscotch & chocolate pudding dessert and beignets - the pudding was fabulous and the beignets were a huge pass-they reminded me of sweet pizza rolls. they looked like just like them.
Praise the lord it was a work lunch so I didn't have to fork out of my own pocket. Because otherwise I think I'd pass.
We had dinner here Saturday 11/28 and I was somewhat disappointed, having had a much better experience here about a year ago. Our party of six (4 adults and a 9 and 11 yr old) ordered:
The biscuits, ham, and pepper jam - very good
BBQ shrimp - pretty tasty, but you must love Worcestershire, because basically the sauce tastes like thickened Lea & Perrins.
Jambalaya - not good. My husband ordered it but would not eat it. I tasted it, thought it too tomatoey and spiced in an unappealing way. Nothing like any jambalaya I've eaten in New Orleans.
Pork chop - the chop itself was very tasty and cooked just right. My husband thought the peanut/tasso crust was unnecessary and the pomegranate was just strange.
Sea bass - good. The fish was cooked properly and the clam/bean/broth that it came with was good as well. It was topped with a piquillo pepper which, according to the menu, was supposed to be stuffed, but the stuffing must have been made of a massless, colorless, flavorless substance, because I couldn't find it. An all right dish, but not memorable.
Jalapeno corn bread - very good, and rich
Dorothy Parker cocktail - yum. The best part of my evening.
Also ordered, but not tasted by me were the bay scallops, the ham/cheese/egg toast, and the fried chicken. The consumers of these dishes seemed reasonably satisfied, but I didn't hear any raves.
We didn't order any desserts (although I had originally planned to) because we ran out of stomach capacity and patience before dessert-ordering time rolled around.
The worst part of the evening was that our service was not very good. Our waitress was reasonably nice but absent most of the time. She may have been avoiding our table because our entrees took a very long time - they arrived AN HOUR AND A HALF after we were seated. Finally a service person (not our waitress) arrived at our table with a dish of macaroni and cheese (very tasty but exceedingly rich) which was intended to tide us over due to the long delay. That was a nice gesture, but after the appetizers and bread (which was very good BTW), the last thing we really needed was more food to spoil our entrees. I would rather they had comped something we'd actually ordered, or might like later, like desserts or coffees. Also, neither the macaroni deliverer nor our waitress (when she reappeared at the end of the meal) offered any sort of explanation for the delay or much of an apology (the waitress tossed out a half-hearted "Sorry for the wait" as she picked up our check). One of the odd things about the poor service was that we were actually the first people seated in the restaurant that evening, so it wasn't even particularly busy for the first 45 minutes or so. Perhaps the fact that we did not order any wine (we had had too much for the 3 days previous) made us lower priority customers. However, on my previous visit I got great service with just 2 adults and 2 kids, and only wine by the glass ordered.
It seems like it is a bit of a crap shoot to dine here - it might be great, or really disappointing. I was a little embarrassed, and would not bring guests here again. My general feeling is that this place has slipped. It seems a lot of the food is either not very interesting or includes combinations that don't really work. Also, some of the best tasting dishes were obviously loaded with salt and fat. It's not that hard to make food taste good when you put lots of fat in it, so I don't find these types of dishes all that impressive.
I might give this place another chance someday, but not before I get to lots of other places I want to try/return to. There are plenty of places in the city where your odds of a good experience are better than 50/50.
Over 900 reviews? I might as well add my thoughts, right? We went here about a month ago for dinner when I was up in San Francisco for a conference. The place had good reviews on Yelp and we hadn't had any Southern-inspired cuisine in a long time.
The old brick loft building makes for a great environment. The restaurant is big, but still has an intimate feel to it. We arrived a little early and had a drink at the bar while we waited for a table. Town Hall serves up some excellent classic cocktails - most of which I wish I could take home with me to South Bay. That they'll make a Sazerac earns them bonus points in my book.The bartenders seem to really know what they're doing.
All of the appetizers sounded great. We had the buttermilk biscuits with ham and peach jam - heavenly stuff. Probably the highlight of the meal.
The fried chicken entree was also fantastic, just like they make it in the South! Having spent a couple of years in the South, it's hard to find fried chicken that takes me back to those long humid summers, but this did. Crisp but moist and tender on the inside. Just perfect. Too bad it wasn't what I ordered.
The pork chop started out on the right foot (or hoof, I suppose?). The peanut crust added a nice texture, and the side of rice and fava beans complimented it. About halfway in to it, in the dim light of the restaurant, I could see that my pork chop wasn't quite dead - in fact, it was really pink near the bone. I quietly brought this to the attention of the waiter who said he would chastise the kitchen and comped our dessert, but didn't comp the half-eaten entree. I was a few drinks in and on an expense account so I didn't bother to argue. Mistakes happen to be sure, but really, if you're going to send out a plate of trichinosis, at least comp the entree.
The service was generally good but a bit inconsistent. The staff was attentive when we were first seated, but it became increasingly hard to get anyone's attention as the night wore on. It was a Sunday night, so they weren't even especially busy.
There's a thousand restaurants in San Francisco I want to try, so while I can say that *most* of the food was great at Town Hall, and the drinks were outstanding - I'd even send a friend there (just remind them to cook the pork a little more, maybe) - but I'll have to get through the other thousand restaurants before I go back.
time for an update. This place is a freaking well oiled machine! It's so packed and so yummy.
So they have BBQ out back you can take to go.
or you can power lunch it and get in and out in exactly one hour. It's like they know somehow that you only have an hour. Oh wait they probably do, since EVERYONE in here dining is in a suit.
My iced tea was refilled over 4 times. I had on black slacks and my white napkin was traded in for a black one without asking. The food was delivered promptly and it was delicious....It ALWAYS is. Always.
and can we take a little timeout to just squeal over those little jalapeno cornbreads served in a ladyfinger baking tray?? Oh yes and the Tuna Tartare with fried green tomatoes? It was a match made in heaven.
I love you town hall. Pretty please can you come to Marin???
Great place for lunch during the week. Dinner only on weekends. Have only been here during the… Read more »
Based on the recommendation of a couple locals, I took a couple of clients visiting from out of town to dinner here. All and all it was a very good experience. I made a reservation through OpenTable the day before. A couple of hours before the reservation I had to up our number from 4 to 5. They accomodated us with no problem. We didn't have to wait at all when showed up for our reservation.
I got the tuna tartare for a starter. Truth be told, I was more interested in the fried green tomatoes that came with. The tomatoes were excellent! Not greasy or over battered and comlimented perfectly with the spicy orange sauce on top. The tuna was not bad either.
For the main course I got the fried chicken. Not something I would normally order. It was good quality comfort food. The mashed potatoes and collard greens were a good compliment.
My customer ordered the ribs. They looked good, but a little dry. The meat didn't look like it quite "fell off the bone". I liked the touch of the plate having a piece of brown paper bag on it. Having watched some Food Network shows on middle of the country BBQ joints, that is how they get served.
The doughnut dessert was excellent. The perfect little bite to end the night.
Service was excellent. The wine waitor was very friendly and helpful.
The only complaint would be the staircase between the 1st and 2nd floor. The bathroom is on the 2nd floor. The staircase to get there really stunk. Good thing I had eaten already or I may have lost my appetite.
I've been for lunch, dinner and for the takeaway lunch. I'd have to say that the two lunches were my best experiences - the dinner was a bit too high of a price point for the service (mediocre) and meal that we got (the food seemed off a bit). Lunch is more do able and you can get some of the marquee dishes at lunch for a more reasonable price. The decor is fun and unique - I love the chandeliers in the restaurant - so pretty!
I'd have to say that I LOVE their takeway lunch. I had the hot sausage with pepper and onions and it was insanely good. Nice snap and heat and the onions and peppers were a perfect, slightly sweet compliment. The huge Acme roll did a good job of sopping up any errant juices. The grapefruit lemonade and sweet tea (yay, make your own arnold palmer) was a nice tart sweet accompaniment.
My lunch companion had the pulled pork topped with cole slaw and being from North Carolina, is a de facto expert on bbq. He was in love from the first bite!!! Said the pork was perfection and the cole slaw had a great tang, without being too sodden with mayonnaise.
DUDE.....I was pleasantly surprised! A buddy & I came for dinner, and both have been hearing all kinds of good things about this restaurant. The place is comfortable, and the setting is homely. Our server was VERY helpful and had a good sense of humor. I forgot his name, but it was a tall DUDE with glasses. He greeted us and asked us what we'd like to drink and my buddy says "DUDE, what would you like to drink" (mind you, my buddy & I been pals for over 20 years, so we comfortably say "DUDE" around each other a lot) so the servers then starts saying "DUDE" and made our experience easy going & pleasant. He made great suggestions on our drinks, and the entrees as well. I had the St. Louis Style Ribs and started out with a ButterLeaf Salad w/ apple slices, walnuts, and bleu Cheese. My buddy had the Ribeye with Bone marrow and potates. The food was good, and for this type of restaurant the prices were reasonable. We were not impressed with the Smoked Bone Marrow. But everything else was just about as good as expected. But, DUDE....our waiter made the experience 4-star to me.
4 Stars = Yay! I'm a Fan.
Yup - I am indeed a fan. I went for a business lunch last week and was blown away at the quality of the food, in many respects. I believe Iron Chef judges cuisines by 3 factors (assuming the food quality itself is of the highest standard already, which it is at Town Hall):
1) Taste
2) Plating
3) Originality
This place scores high in all 3 categories.
I'm a tuna fan and when I saw the tuna tartar on the starters menu I knew this would be the quick acid test of whether or not this place could hold it's own. Two words: it did. The tuna was fresh and tender, and the fried green tomatoes were actually crispy without being either mushy or too salty - just perfect! The fried green tomatoes matched perfectly with the spiciness of the Tabasco vinaigrette and tuna. Bravo!
The bbq shrimp gumbo with bacon grits did not let me down either, as I ended up scraping the bowl like the walls of a non-vacant forgotten prison on a desert island.
Needless to say I returned 2 days later, unable to escape the lure of the tuna tartar, I succumbed once again. I rescued my own originality by trying the day boat sea scallops and soon thereafter lost my ability to speak coherently.
Well done Town Hall, I'll definitely be back.
...only downside - the service can be spotty.
This review is a little overdue, but considering the amazing evening I had, I just had to make time to get it up.
I heard about the restaurant from my roommate. I was looking for somewhere nice to go out to dinner in the city and he told me Town Hall had fantastic new American food. It sounded interesting. I went online and booked a table through their Open Table Reservation system, very convenient. They were almost booked for the evening but I managed to get a table for two. I was meeting a good friend who I had not seen in 10 years, and was greatly looking forward to a nice evening. I was already impressed with their website, and ease of reservations, but it was not to stop there.
My friend had a change of plans and we were forced to dine later in the evening. She called the restaurant and they were able to change our reservation for a half our later. By the time I had picked her up and we got to the restaurant, it was 15 minutes past our reservation and I was worried we would be out of luck.
I walked in to their entrance on Howard Street and was immediately amazed. Their main dining room stretched out away from me with a beautiful bar along the left wall. Rich hardwood floors met elegant white crown molding on the walls, supporting lovely windows that accented the rich redbrick walls. And it was packed. Servers were quickly weaving through the dining room rush, but I was immediately aware of the restaurant manager. Her appraising gaze and calm demeanor instantly identified her. Our hostess was a sweetheart. Although she had marked us as a no show, she had us seated at a table in 4 minutes. WOW.
The table was simply but ideally lain out, and we were soon seated amidst the rest of the well dressed and hungry guests. Our server (Theodorus?sp) was fantastic, as was his support staff. He was knowledgeable about the menu, was able to recommend a few items over others which I tremendously respect. It shows a server knows the menu and how to pair the guest with items they will love. I found a nice bottle of Spanish red for $50 and we settled in to catch up. As a starter, we ordered the BBQ Gulf Shrimp with a Worcestershire sauce and garlic toast. The kitchen split the appetizer for us and it was still a substantial portion. 3 large shrimp each, an the sauce was SOOOO good. I would kill for the recipe. Next, we decided to split a salad of butter lettuce, sliced pear, walnuts and Point Reyes blue cheese dressing. Split again and fantastic. An elegant take on blue cheese dressing, it was lite but flavorful, and allowed the rest of the items to really shine. We followed that with an entree each. I had the Rabbit cooked 3 ways, served with greens, mashed potatoes and a coffee jus. My friend had the porkchop. The portions were great, as was the presentation. The food was arranged elegantly without being molested into an awkward position on the plate. The highlight of my plate was the rabbit saddle. I could eat this every day. Tender, rich, soft... I am lost for words. The greens on the plate were perfectly cooked, the sauce was amazing. I was hesitant at first about a coffee jus, but our server convinced me to try. Im very glad I did. The other preparation was a shredded rabbit that was molded, battered and deep fried. It was all right, I liked the textural difference that it added in the dish, having something nice and crisp. I was slightly unimpressed with the 3rd preparation, which was a bone in rack of rabbit. It was less than one bite. Still, interesting and tasty. My friends pork chop was huge, and faced the same problems any pork chop does... getting cooked enough without being dry. I had a few bites and found it to be ok. Nothing I would order again. We finished with a rocky road desert, which was amazing. Rich, decadent, lush. A great way to finish the evening. I sat there with my double espresso wishing I could eat like this every day. So, 1 appetizer, 1 salad, 2 entrees, 1 desert, 1 bottle of wine, 1 double espresso and 20% tip, out the door for $200. Very reasonable for the quality of the evening. I will certainly be back, and looking forward to the new items the chef features. Ive frequently been going to their web site and noticing that they change up their menu quite frequently. FANTASTIC. :)
Town Hall is outstanding!!! I wasn't sure what to expect when I made the reservation, which may I add is highly recommended. I thought I'd have a nice upscale meal but instead I got a meal that made smile from beginning to end. The service was great and our waitress was attentive. The hostess was welcoming and friendly. I had the scallops with butternut squash sauce. Go her just for that!!! Dessert was amazing. Go if you're a tourist and go if you're locale. Just go!
***This is only for the Town Hall BBQ***
I remember walking to work one day and smelling something smoky. Then it got on my clothes and my hair. Later I found out Town Hall is opening a BBQ stand behind the restaurant, in the alley. I thought to myself : this better be worth the smelly clothes.
It's really not. I had high hopes to really, really like this place, especially since it's across the street from where I work.
They offer:
*House smoked St. Louis ribs
Quarter slab for $8, half slab for $15, full slab for $25.
Platter (with two sides) for $12.
*Grilled calabrese sausage po boy $8
*Fried chicken sandwich topped with spicy cole slaw $8
Sides:
*Cole slaw $3
*Potato salad $3
*Potato chips $2
Desserts:
*Butterscotch chocolate pot de creme $4
Texas sheet cake with fudge frosting and salted pistachios $3
*Butterscotch chocolate chip cookies $1.50
Drinks $2:
*Sodas
*Lemonade
*Iced Tea
*The fried chicken sandwich can be hit or miss. I've had both.
*The potato chips are crunchy, but extremely oily. Good deal for $2 though.
*Cole slaw and potato salad were both runny in texture.
*Pot de creme just wasn't to my liking.
*Lemonade is really good, but sometimes a bit too sour. Maybe they haven't perfected the recipe yet?
Overall, I'm very mixed about my Town Hall experiences. I have the luxury of going pretty much… Read more »
Loved my evening here!
Great wine/cocktail. To die for Shrimp appetizer. We almost wanted to ask for extra spoons to drink the left over sauce-- it was that good. Desert was amazing as well- loved the butterscotch desert. You must order it. The beignet desert was good too. You can't go wrong.
Now, please notice I've raved about the drinks, appetizers, and desert..... the main courses weren't anything to really write home about. I don't have anything terrible to say, but nothing great either. Average options and average taste.
Definitely recommend checking out this place.
Oh and please do not order the biscuits and peach jelly---- the biscuits are super tiny...nothing special.
Now open on Wednesdays at $79
Neighborhood: Western…
$15 Dinner Special
Neighborhood: Castro
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: SOMA
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Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: American (New)
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