Town Hall Reviews

It was a very long wait to get our reserved table, but it was worth it. While we waited we enjoyed tasty cocktails at a big table. Once we got seated we ordered a bunch of smaller plates. The portions were much bigger than I had anticipated and we couldn't finish our food. But boy was everything tasty. Salad, jalapeño poppers, cornbread, and a few other dishes. Our server Vilma was super friendly and helpful and overall we enjoyed our night out very much. I'd go to Town Hall again for sure.

Recently hosted several business customers at this restaurant. Due to the size of our group, I opted for a set menu to keep things simple. The service was impeccable and the servings were fair and flavourful. The waiters were helpful and kept the wine flowing without my having to prompt them. There’s also a covered veranda at the rear of the restaurant. A great spot for casual, relaxed dining.

While I found the food tasty, it was served warn, not hot which we disappointing. I agree with other reviewers who say the fried chicken sandwich is wonderful and it is but my experience wasn't what I was hoping for/.

Before I forget, make sure you get the butterscotch chocolate pot de creme (pudding). I don't even like butterscotch, and this thing is amazing. It's always been perfect when I've gone there. The "Boston Cream Pie" was also terrific, different than the usual because it's got some raspberry sauce, but perfectly made. The real issue of the evening was that we had one of the grouchiest food servers I've ever experienced. He seriously needs to get a different job. We had guests visiting from out of town who love food, and I felt embarrassed, it was that bad. It completely diminished the evening. The food style is... New Orleans Californian, I'd say. Everything we ate was quite good: the fried oysters, the ribs, the fried chicken, all the sides that came with it, especially the corn bread. Since the server didn't write down any of our order, he made a mistake and brought the grilled cheese appetizer by mistake, which I would not have thought to order, but it was great. The appetizer we did order arrived moments later and I was told that was delicious too (can't remember what it was). Tonight's food was a little off though, I must admit: my barbecue shrimp arrived barely warm, basically cool, the green puree under the fried oysters was so bitter it was inedible, and the pickled vegetables served with the pimiento cheese were so salty we couldn't eat them. Also, I know this is a weird complaint, but there were so many ribs on the rib dinner that my husband ate it twice for dinner later in the week, and we are big eaters. I'd rather be charged less money and get fewer ribs. The quantity was ridiculous. So, generally this is one of my favorite restaurants around, but it wasn't this time. I'll definitely go back, but if I get the same server, I will immediately request someone else.

We rented the entire restaurant for a client party (120 people) and they did a wonderful job. Service and food were excellent. They even found a great jazz band to entertain for the evening. Everyone raved about how elegant and excellent the evening was. Highly recommend this place for either a big party or if you just want a great meal.

Town Hall has been serving fine food since 2003! Who knew? I certainly did not until I heard about it's eclectic cuisine and decided lunch would be a fine time to visit. First start off with their signature "Hideaway 16" cocktail -Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon - (10 yr old) with Amaro Ciociaro, Green Chartreuse, Herbsainte, Peychand's Bitters; if you must Bette Jane's Ginger Beer non-alchholic, or Ginger Tarragon Soda; For Appetizers -the Seafood corn chowder w/ bacon lardons or my fav-butter lettuce, fuji pples, radishes, candied walnuts and green onion Tabasco vinaigrette; Fab range of sandwiches, but opt for the Seared salmon, cauliflower florets, nicoise olive tapenade; Beer-battered Gulf flounder tacos, Pequin chili aioli, cabbage, guacamole -very nice w/ sides of Warm Jalapeno Corn Bread or Crispy Okra, piquillo aioli! Deserts to die for!

Recommended by a friend as somewhere to go dressed up. We were seated quickly and our waiter was attentive without being intrusive. Our drinks arrived without delay, as did our meals. We chose the pork chop and NY steak, which were prepared as requested and presented to a high standard. The portion sizes are substantial, however the food was enjoyable and we left very little on our plates, and found room for dessert; peach crisp and devil's chocolate cake. It's definitely a little noisy but overall a pleasant atmosphere, where dressing casually is ok. Prices are a little on the high side.

Went this past Saturday night for a pre-Father's Day dinner. It's pricey but delicious. Chicken and waffles may be the best I've had. Don't miss the BBQ shrimp and ask for extra bread to sip up the sauce. Love the lemon cake for dessert. Big wine selection and great beer available too. Service was great, fun ambience, nice mix of families, people on dates.

Visited "Town Hall" on a recommendation while in town on business. Not my first choice, but not a bad recommendation, it's just that we didn't have reservations so everything kind of fell apart from there. We were a group of seven and had to wait at the crowed bar for about an hour until they could get a table big enough for our party. After that the food was pretty good. In fact the best part of my meal was my starter - Buttermilk biscuits, prosciutto di parma and red pepper jelly. This was amazing. Kept with the buttermilk theme and had fried chicken for my main. It was good, but not as good as the red pepper jam.

Overall, great appetizers, entrees and sides. Such a great find - the buttermilk fried chicken is an absolute must, as for sides the jalapeno corn bread is delicious, the cerviche to start is fantastic. You also have to have to try the kentucky orchard. Absolute must if you are in town.

Town Hall is an excellent restaurant. You can come casually dressed and enjoy a fine dining experience. Many people (Locals) come here to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. The appetizer menu is absolutely wonderful - many delightful choices and all quite good. Dinner choices are wonderful - we had quail. The wine list is quite good and they have some reasonably priced bottles to more expensive priced bottles. The Southern themed cocktails worked well for me as it's rare to find any bar outside of New Orleans who can make a proper sazerac. The unique way they give you the check is interesting.... A tad loud for a business dinner if you're doing to be doing a lot of talking, but still a great evening overall.

Our service was exceptional. Our food and wine was perfect for the evening. I took my niece to celebrate Christmas. We were just finishing up and got an alarm our car was broken into.. my niece bolted out the door. I told our server and I frantically ran out and down the streets of San Francisco trying to find the car and my niece. When we returned our server had us sit at the bar for a final cocktail .. happened to be sitting next to Willie Brown. I chatted with him for abit not knowing who he was .. In all that excitement there was a glitch in the bill amount. I contacted the manager the following week and to my surprise ... the Town Hall Management made it right. Service is high priority for an exceptional evening and can't wait to make it back to the Town Hall .. except this time no car alarms.

Our waiter immediately struck me as the kind of guy who worked in the industry because he wanted to, not because he needed to. We wanted to pair our food with a bottle of wine and based on his suggestion we ordered a cabernet - at which point he removed the default wine glasses around the table, replacing them with larger cabernet glasses - twirling them around his fingers before setting each one down (seemed as though he'd done bartending in a past life). I ordered a ribeye steak, which ran me about $42. Asked for it medium rare, got it medium rare. The wine paired spectacularly and my meal was delicious. Our smartly dressed waiter was not too present during our meal (as it should be) but was there whenever we needed anything. The only thing stopping me from giving Town Hall 5 stars was their bathroom. While it was very clean and pleasant in the bathroom, you need to first find a rather hard-to-notice door, then up about 4 flights of steps, into a seemingly adjacent office building and it feels like you've literally left the restaurant.

As persons who read my reviews know, the number stars I give are based on a quality/price matrix - the higher the price the higher the quality needed to obtain five stars. In this case, the food at Town Hall was average, nothing special, as well as the service. However, the cost with most entrees over $30 and a simple martini (in a small glass) at $14. Their chef seems to be suffering from a problem that I have encountered at a number of restaurants attempting to be high end in that salt has become the predominant flavor added to the meal... but let me start at the beginning. The Oysters (appetizer) were good. Fresh and tasty. The salad unmemorable (I can't even remember which one I got. The pozole had too much chili. It was like someone put chili powder in water and then added the ingredients. No subtley at all - just overwhelming chili powder in water. The bass suffered from the salt issue, mentioned above. Like the pozole the dish lacked subtlety - there no flavors competing for the palate - just overwhelming saltiness. Total cost was close to $200. I have had many good meals recently. This one was a disappointment. If the cost had been closer to $100 I would have only given it 3 stars.

Had a small team dinner here last week and was overall impressed with the food and the service. Great wine list as well. Well worth the visit and will come back again.

This place has an attitude problem. They say that usually trickles down from management. We went on a Monday night, and it certainly seemed like an off night . . . for them. Our server seemed stressed and kind of gave off a snarky, aggravated vibe to our party of four. I'd say the food, was OK, but when they place is fairly high priced, that's just not good enough. The drinks were good, though my wife's gimlet was undrinkable. When she sent it back, the waiter made some comment about how she drank some of it before she realized that it was unacceptable. I think it was supposed to be a joke, but it didn't come off very nicely at all. He was almost apologetic at the end because the place was just not working very well that night. I don't think he comped anything, not one drink, not a free desert, just was fishing for a better tip at the end. I say it could be great because the building is great, old brick, with high ceilings. But with a bill that high for four people who didn't eat very much, I was thoroughly dissatisfied with the whole experience. I'm not going to suggest improvements, just point out flaws because this place is so unlikeable in service, attitude and vibe. If it hadn't been so damned pricey I might give it another point, but, save your time and money, go somehwere else. Not recommended.

The ham tasting plate with biscuits was the highlight, a good recommendation from our waiter. Thank you! Fried ochre I never tried before but would have again and again. The fried chicken and waffles was delicious and huge, glad we shared it between the four of us. Oh and the veal meatballs, could have had another serving of that. Lovely helpful and efficient service. A go to if you have craving for some Southern Food!

We went to Town Hall as guests of some friends. Being new to San Francisco, I learned it is somewhat of an institution. We arrived early and grabbed a seat at the bustling bar. The restaurant was decorated for the holidays and that added to the festive mood. When our hosts arrived, we ordered drinks and were whisked off to our table, with a great view into the glassed-in kitchen. I think I would classify this restaurant's strength as great "comfort" food. While the menu has range, we tended to choose and enjoy the soup, cornmeal fried oysters, the buttermilk fried chicken (yum!), the sea bass and grilled ribeye. The restaurant was busy but the service was as good as the food. And interestingly, you could hold a conversation without straining to hear. As for price, it's typical of "big city fine dining" -- and a good value. All in, it was a great evening with good food, wine and friends. We will return.

I made reservations for a party of four on Saturday night. We arrived and were seated right away. Our orders included the rib eye steaks, pork shank, tuna tar tar, potatoes, jalapeño corn bread and some additional appetizers. The food was excellent and I commend the chefs! The atmosphere is very nice with low lighting and candle lit ambiance. The service, at least from our waiter, left something to be desired. During the entire evening, from when we arrived to when we left, he consistently gave us the impression he would have rather been anywhere else but serving us. We initially thought we understood most things on the menu but did eventually ask him a question. He literally seemed exasperated and said, “All right, I guess I’ll have to explain the menu to you after all.” He was difficult to track down during dinner when we wanted additional drinks and, when the drink came, he actually leaned over the table and plopped it down while leaning with his back/side to us and no eye contact whatsoever. The restaurant serves a bloody mary shooter and I did not see a “regular” bloody mary drink on the menu. I asked the waiter if I could have a bloody mary and he seemed put off. Even though there is a full bar, he told me in a disparaging tone he would have to check with the bar to see if they could make one. I don’t know if it’s proper to list names in this format but if someone from the restaurant wants to contact me I will gladly let them know who this person is. Maybe he had a bad day but his behavior certainly lessened the experience of dining here and his actions honestly would make me think twice about taking others here for a night out. The restroom is a bit awkward to get to since you have to walk up a couple of flights of stairs, or take the elevator, to the second floor. I don’t know how old the carpet is along the staircase area but they really should consider replacing it. The smell coming from it was awful and was very strong in that enclosed area. They have a private company handling valet service but at $20 is a bit pricey. You can do yourself a favor but searching the surrounding streets for empty parking spaces and save some money. I unfortunately did not notice a free space directly across the street until I paid for the service. Again, the food was fantastic but hopefully the waiter we had was the exception and not the rule.

No room at happy hour. A active and loud place. As Yogi Berra once said, "nobody goes there, it's too crowded". Filled with transplants, carpetbaggers and New Yorkers. Great historic location and Great name. It's not San Francisco....Good place for millennial, occupying this town.

nice space, yet a bit crowded. noise level almost to the point of inhibiting conversation. that being said, nice small menu, with excellent choices for all. service is quite good, and very efficient. recommendations were all spot on. fried chicken (really in San Francisco!) is not to be missed.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. It’s casual comfort food and in a great location in SoMa. The staff is always friendly and you can often find a spot on the bar if you don’t have reservations. My go to dishes are the fried chicken and jalapeño corn bread, I highly recommend it.

Great atmosphere food was delicious A little slow on service however were very accommodating with on the house dessert and appetizer Would go there again All in all great experience

The menu was interesting, but our short rib was dry, the shrimp were overwhelmed by garlic, and the atmosphere -- loud dining room, spare decor -- disappointed. Not terrible, but definitely not worth the hype.

I was visiting San Francisco and a friend told me abou this place. It was just an amazing experience with great food. Good cocktails, wine and food. I had yellowtail, the plate is quite light but rich with flavor. I enjoyed each bite of it!! Yummy!! Good customer service. Restrooms quite far but not a big deal!!

Town Hall is a great place for tasty upscale comfort food in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The food is delicious and the service was attentive, fun, and knowledgeable.

Very good food and excellent service. If you are staying at the W its only a couple blocks away. The shrimp entree was excellent, as was the pork chop. Wasn't very loud so could easily have a conversation

Anyplace that serves bacon gravy on mashed potatoes gets points in my book! We had a really nice dinner with friends who have been here many times. They recommended the fried chicken which is apparently injected with butter (another favorite) and spices before being coated and fried. It was delicious and way too much food! One of our friends had the ribs which was a giant tower that reminded me of the Flintstones! We ended with a Butterscotch pot de' creme that was to die for with some kind of dark chocolate bark. YUM! Not the healthiest meal we had all week but tasty! Very friendly service and atmosphere as well...

Great place for a lunch meeting in downtown SFO. Definitely get here on the earlier side and make reservations because it was PACKED. I had the pulled pork tacos and they were quite tasty! Menu is to the point, which is appreciated and some great choices. Would definitely come here again for another lunch meeting and the staff is very friendly. Service was quick and friendly during the lunch and was always on hand in case something was needed.

The downstairs can be noisy, so selecting the upstairs private dining room for a group of 20 was an excellent choice. The service and food were excellent, and we were able to mix, mingle and talk.

Came here for dinner with a friend after wanting to try this place forever (since it's literally one block away from where I live). I made a booking as I always see how busy it is when I walk past it and thank goodness I did, our reservation was at 6:45 and this place was absolutely packed. We had the jalapeño cornbread for starters - it was good but nothing I would crave again. My friend has the the fish (bass) for her main and she really enjoyed it. I had the chicken and waffles... oh my word, best fried chicken I've had in SF!!!! The waffle was good too but lacked a bit of taste. The portion was huge as well, 4 pieces of chicken and the waffle. I literally brought back more than half the meal back home. Even reheated, the chicken was so tasty. I would definitely go back just for the fried chicken and waffle dish. We had the Butterscotch and Chocolate Pot de Crème for dessert and I really enjoyed this, it was very light yet tasty especially after a full meal. But be warned, there is more butterscotch than chocolate so my friend didn't enjoy it but I like butterscotch so I thought it was good. The restaurant is a bit noisy since it's so busy so I wouldn't recommend it for an intimate dinner but for casual meet ups, it's a great spot. We had a glass of wine, a latte, starter, 2 main meals and a dessert which came to about $130. Wine per glass is pretty pricy here. All in all, I would definitely go back!

On the plus side we had some very good appetizers and sides - the chili cheese was outstanding, as were the hush puppies, fried okra and beans. The entrees though good were not fantastic. The speciality fried chicken though coming in a large portion was under spiced - and the rice in the ettoufee was on the raw side. Again though the gumbo sauce in the dish was nice it lacked kick. The dining room is large and noisy - but nice and some of the artwork is impressive. Mixed bag - would likely give it another try on another visit.

Came for a business lunch and was seated at a quiet (some what) table .Our party of three ordered the pork taco appts while we looked over the menu. The two orders of taco arrived 30 minutes later and the were stone cold and sitting on a bed of chilled greens. The taco shells tasted like they were fried hours ahead of time, the pork filling was nonexistent and the whole plate felt like it came straight out of the refrigerator. Next course was seafood chowder at least it was slightly warm and had some pieces of seafood. For the main course I ordered the short ribs with a fired farm egg topper and kim chi. No surprise again it was cold the meat was dry with no sauce and it was piled on a mound of cold starch that I could use for repairing dents in my car as filler. Poorly done and sad.

When Plan A fell through we ran across Town Hall and decided to give it a whirl. Service was excellent, as well as the ceviche appetizer. However, the main entrees didn't shine beyond the "main". For example, the buttermilk fried chicken was great, but the side vegetables and gravy lacked flavoring. The King salmon was tasty (albeit a small portion) but, again, the side dishes were tasteless. If you want good bread and a nice main course, go here. But beware the side dishes and prepare to walk away a wee bit hungry...

The food is excellent! We ordered yellow tail ceviche and tuna tartar with chipotle sauce --- excellent appetizers and the fish is very fresh. Very nice entrees--seafood is very fresh--excellent! Save room for desert. Desert was exquisite!!!!!

The buzz in this restaurant is full pelt. We had a few entrees and a main course each, with a few side thrown in. All were delicious. My favourite was the house special warm ham with a poached egg and jalapeno cream. The corn bread is excellent. I loved the Southern fried chicken too.

Were on a visit from London and Town Hall came highly recommended by a dear friend - and we weren’t disappointed. Firstly, it is located in a beautifully restored century+ year old building on the corner of Fremont and Howard Street. The Town Hall is deep in the financial district (near Salesforce Tower so the area seemed v quiet on a Friday night) about a 20 minute walk from Union Square. We had a 7:30 booking and when we arrived thought it looked a little quiet but as soon as we were seated we found that the set up worked really well and it was a great atmosphere- lots of couples and a family or two - cosy and buzzy at the same time. The fabulous lights/vintage chandeliers are apparently from an old theatre in Spain and were rewired by the owner himself - gorgeous! To the food - we are not “big” eaters so ordered “light” (by US standards). Started with the Jalapeño cornbread with honey - salty and sweet and cake like in texture. We both had the fried chicken which is served with creamy mash, and shared the citrus Brussel sprouts. The chicken was melt in your mouth - 4 large pieces each (ask for a doggy bag!), the mash smooth and tasty, the sprouts nicely done with a chargrilled crispy edge - not particularly citrussy though. Washed down with a good glass or two of a Sonoma Pinot noir. Delightfully sated - was glad for the walk back to the hotel! An extensive wine and drinks list. Nice looking bar too. Service was impeccable from greeting to end. Definitely recommend.

Okay, if you like Southern Food, this is probably one of the few places in SF where you are going to find upscale Southern Food or fried chicken for that matter. It also has a great bar. That said, it is located a bit out of the way for walking and there is nothing that indicates to one in advance that this is the specialty of the restaurant. If you like Southern Food, disregard this recommendation, if not or you are so-so on it, check the menu before you dine.

Town Hall is south of Market, but worth the trip. The dishes are ample, well put together, and inventive. The halibut special was excellent, and the BBQ ribs over the top. Don't miss the heavenly corn bread.

We booked an early dinner, as our day didn't allow for lunch. We arrived early to find out that they have a great happy hour, and were able to grab a couple of glasses of wine. Since we ate dinner early, service was fast, and we didn't experience the noise that other diners have mentioned. The food was excellent, and certainly is an interesting menu, we had a hard time deciding what to eat!

Stopped in for a late lunch. The turkey with sauerkraut sandwich with chips had great flavor. The jalapeno cornbread delivered a good jalapeno flavor. Order was quickly taken, that was the last I saw of my waiter until the check was delivered. Not a big problem except it took 15 minutes from the time I finished my meal to when he came by again. At this point the restaurant was quite cleared out so I'm not sure what the problem was.

We arrived early and sat at the bar until the restaurant began seating at 5:30. The bartender was friendly and fun. We were seated and our table was in a cove which was quite private and quieter than the main section. The restaurant was decorated beautifully for Christmas. Our server was was amazing. He described the food in such a way that you could almost imagine it before tasting, but could not because the flavors were such they were unimaginable. The men in our group had the steak and stopped talking immediately. I enjoyed the Black Cod. I thoroughly enjoyed the Black Cod. The fourth in our group did not have good experiences with Pork Chops. She was never going to order it until the Server went into his description. She was convinced and was NOT disappointed. She said it was not like any Pork Chop she had ever tried. We had a sampling of the ham as an appetizer. The ham is served with freshly baked, tiny buttermilk biscuits and pepper jelly. The portion was meal sized and we took some home. This was a great evening. Can't wait to try something else on the menu and return!

Timing was really off last night!!!! Has lost its luster. Everything was cool. Please pay attention.

This remains one of my favourite go-to restaurants in San Francisco. The food is consistently good with old favourites like the ribs, plus other stock selections. This time around we had amazing asparagus, tuna tartar and a selection of mains to die for. Service was a little inattentive at the start of our evening but soon warmed up after we ordered our food. Upstairs these guys have a great private dining room which one day I plan to utilise. Until them I'll continue to enjoy the atmosphere, food and ambience downstairs.

The restaurant is located very near all the high rise construction in the downtown core. They have a great menu. The southern fried chicken sandwich is a flavor explosion. It is just the right amount of breading and spices. It was a great lunch with really good service. I look forward to going back.

I ate here with a number of colleagues for a work event, and they accommodated our large party very well. The room was on a separate floor from the main restaurant, which was a good thing, because the main floor was packed (this was a Friday night) and loud. Good food, including an excellent beet salad and interesting take on butterscotch-and-chocolate pudding for dessert, and good service. The prices were high for what we got; the food was good, but there was no choice at all except for a vegetarian entree, and the wine was fine but not at that price point. It has a good reputation, and I might come back with a friend to try it, but not with a group again.

Went here with a group of eight for a nice dinner. Food was great, service was awesome. Menu was great with some interesting twists. I would recommend to others and plan on eating here again next time I am in town.

Excellent service, food and ambiance. What else does one need? I also like the bar area and wine selection. Always a good choice.

In for a quick lunch and sat outside. Waiter got our orders wrong and received a very spicy pork sandwich as opposed to a salad! Lunch was too spicy before a meeting!

Mr. Sothoth has taken clients here for lunch on a couple of occasions and has also lunched here with colleagues. Town Hall is an upscale bistro-style spot with, I guess, sort of southwest-influenced comfort food. Sandwiches are tasty, appetizer salads are large and filling, and the cornbread is recommended. Everything sampled so far has been way salty. Efficient service. Noisy.

We hosted a customer appreciation dinner here, in the second floor private dining area. Service was fantastic for our 25 person dinner, and coordinating with Marissa was smooth and a pleasure. We did the three course prix fixe dinner which was given two thumbs up by the guests. The room is large, accommodating around 40 people. ambiance, lighting and decor were all really nice, and conversation was not distracted or disturbed by the busy bar and restaurant below. Very robust wine selection as well. The restaurant is conveniently located to the Moscone Center, so perfect for a lunch or dinner for anyone attending a conference.

This restaurant has some of the best food in the Bay Area. My top picks are the barbecue shrimp appetizer, and the butterscotch chocolate pudding (it's perfect), and any main course that has ever arrived at my table. However, I just reread my last review from when I went fifteen months ago, and my same complaint that the shrimp appetizer was cold happened again. The food, though, really is so great. We were comped almost 100 bucks in food and we weren't charged a corkage fee. Why? The problem is that the service was so completely off that it took THREE HOURS for our meal to be served to us in its entirety. We were at hour table for an hour and a half before the soup arrived. Understandably the manager was really upset, and considering what happened, she did the only thing she could and refunded some of our meal. I appreciated the gesture. It was over a year from when we last went because we had such a grouchy server the last time. This time it was clear that the whole place was just understaffed, and our server, who never once apologized for what was going on, was very inefficient. I will be back one more time, and that's it. If I don't actually get reasonable service the next time, as much as I love the food and the beautiful site itself, I won't be able to go back. I don't want to tolerate ridiculous service. Hopefully, though, all will be better, and I'll feel happy about this place again. But go, REALLY. The food and the venue is so terrific that I hope I've just had some really strange moments there. Just go when you're not in a hurry. (And maybe take your pillow.)

Came for the chocolate/butterscotch Pot de Creme for my birthday dessert. It was delicious - husband had the key lime pie. We didn't get to see very much of the restaurant but I would definitely go back.

Nov 4th 2014 Business Team Lunch review: Meal took too long to start. 40 min before salad was served and it was a 1pm lunch. It was a big group, around 30 people, but still. They served nice hors d'oeuvres of tuna tartar and meatballs. Salad was underdressed and flat. My main course was salmon, great dish, balanced and flavorful. My neighbor's chicken was half dry and half OK. Dessert was Black Forest Cake and it was dry and tasted funny. Even though fish was great I would not come again.

The food was scrumptious, and the place was appealing. We wanted a place with a good fun vibe to celebrate an anniversary, and this fit the bill. It is not a quiet place. The food was fantastic! Everything we ordered was delicious. And rich. This is not a place to diet or hold back. The fried oysters (four for $15) were pricey but sooooooo good. The "bbq" shrimp was delicious and the sauce was bread-worthy for many, many extra slices to sop up. This shrimp is served in a rich butter and worcestershire sauce, the New Orleans way (not as Californians know bbq). For entrees, one of us had some of the best fried chicken ever, and it's served with mashed potatoes with bacon (!) gravy and vegetables. The other entree was etouffee with shrimp and flounder. It was also delicious and very, very rich. The chayote squash, which originally sounded weird in it, actually helped to balance out the richness. Both entree portions were generous and taken home for later snacks. Oh, and the hush puppies had the greatest honey butter to go with them. So, oddly enough, even though we both couldn't finish our entrees, we did somehow manage to finish the chosen dessert: We shared the chocolate and butterscotch pot de creme (pudding) that is topped with buttercrunch/chocolate toffee. It was so good that we were tempted to pick up and lick the bowl. The staff was attentive and helpful, but they were not intrusive. The assistance they gave was perfectly balanced. In fact, at one point I thought that part of our order had been forgotten, and I started looking around for our server. I hadn't actually made eye contact with anyone at that moment. A different server walked up and asked if we needed something, having clearly seen me looking around, and my concern was immediately taken care of. That's nice! The reason I gave this four instead of five stars is because I think that their appetizers and wine list are both overpriced. The entrees did not feel overpriced for the kind of restaurant, however. One other drawback is that kitchen is really inflexible about what they serve. Of course that is the chef's choice, but one of us is quite particular, and it is annoying to not have any alternatives about what comes with the entrees since we paying customers are the reason why a restaurant survives and thrives. That inflexibility does not match the vibe of the restaurant. In any case, I'm ready to go back. Tomorrow. Alas, I'll have to have a regular night of Monday dinner at home.

Went in for a quick lunch bet2ween meetings and was surprised by the reasonable prices, big servings, and quick service. Great spot for lunch. One note- the shoestring fries are really hard to eat without making a mess.

Comfort food at its best - that is pretty much how I summed up my dining experience at TownHall. (well at least for my partner and I, because my friend was pretty disappointed with his choice of dishes). First of all, I like the way how the original town hall features are preserved and well kept and celebrated throughout the exterior and the interior of this eating place. Very impressive indeed. It is a very big place with a separate private dining room on the second level. The menu and the wine selection looks promising. My partner and I wanted to skipped the appetizers but our friend wanted to have something to nibble before his main, but the salad that he ordered was run out (how is that possible and it was only 8pm). So all of us decided to go straight to our main dishes. I had the buttermilk fried Mary's chicken (it was YUMMY) and my partner had the House smoked St. Louis ribs with Texas Jack BBQ sauce, corn muffin, Stevie’s coleslaw (they were finger-lickin-good). My friend ordered the Potato gnocchi, delicata squash, pecorino, Meyer lemon but he was very disappointed with the portion (they were literally 8 pieces of tiny gnocchi per serving). Apparently when we approached our server and asked about the portion (could it have been a mistake with an appetizers portion) - he was very apologetic because we are not the first table who complaint about the portion - something to take note there. We finished it off with Peach Frangipane tart and chocolate almond torte (one was better than the other). All in all, I had a great experience there (for what I have had ordered and ate). Very highly recommended (maybe not for the gnocchi if you are hungry) xx

This was my first time to dine at Town Hall in SFO, and I was impressed. The experience wasn't 'amazing,' but it was above average for sure. The ambiance was pleasant. The high ceilings gave it a spacious feel, while the rustic remodel gave it a certain quaintness. The dining space could have used some sound-deadening items as the bare walls, high ceilings and large dinner crowd made for an unreasonably high noise level. The staff was attentive without being overbearing. The Prime Rib was spectacular. It was the best I've had in quite a while. The only issue I had with the visit, which was more of an inconvenience than an issue, was that the bathrooms were located on the second floor, which I found to be unusual. Otherwise, I recommend this venue for most everyone.

We had not been back to this restaurant since it first opened. It remains on a derelict portion of Howard Street, but that area is rapidly changing. This is an update on southern comfort food. We started with pimento cheese and saltines, of course comparing it to our own. That was OK. Be aware the portions are large. I had the fried catfish hopin' john which was a nice mix of sides like Carolina rice, field peas and crispy kale. The ribs were enormous. Everything came with some sort of pickled vegetables which maintained southern eating traditions. Of course one could not go wrong with butterscotch pudding for dessert. My one concern was the variable service. This is an enormous room. When we started we had delightful, attentive service as we were only one of several occupied tables. As the restaurant filled, the service person became bogged down being the sole server attending all of the other tables. Why there was no other wait staff I do not know why. This was a weekend night. This poor person had to wait on every table including the selection and pouring of wines. By the end it was nearly a half hour wait to get the dessert that was obviously pre-made. The prices are typical mid-range for eating out in San Francisco. It is very casual with bare wooden tables, spare warehouse interior and a large bar area. We would certainly go there again due to our love of this sort of food. However, I would hope that the service issue was a one night fluke. It might make a difference if you were trying to get to a performance on time. The bar did look like a fun place to hang out.

With a party of 6. The noise was so loud it was really hard to visit Our service was great as well as the food and wine selection. ScAllops And shrimp. Very good with jalapeño corn bread. Maybe we should have sAt outside in there covered patio

First, this is a loud restaurant. Really good food, great atmosphere, menu that's always changing slightly. It's always a challenge for me to not revert to favorite dishes, but I did venture out and try the celery root soup as well as the gnocchi- both were amazing. But for the first time, though, we had a server who was just in a bad mood. Won't prevent me from going back, but just as a good server can turn a bad meal around, a negative attitude detracts from a good one!

Came here with a friend and ordered a bunch of small plates and of course drinks. Everything was fabulous! The service was fantastic. My favorite part was that they bring you the bill in a book and you can sign the book. Fun!

Team meal with coworkers at this restaurant which is in a lovely location. Food is fantastic, as is the atmospher and the service. Will definitely eat here again!

Everything was tasty! Fried chicken prepared like it should be! Crisp not heavy or oily! Salads good a little heavy on the dressing! Ribs tasty! Spicy! Sides very nice and good portion to share! Desserts came in jars! Creative! Yummy!

Went with friends for dinner on a busy mid week evening. Loads of people in the bar - quick and helpful service. Three of us shared an assortment of dishes and they were all very good. Tasty ribs and superb rabbit cassoulet. Very enjoyable evening.

My husband and I ate here two years ago and loved it, and so we brought my parents back about a week ago when we were visiting San Francisco. It was a completely different experience the second time, to say the least. We made reservations and were promptly seated. We sat there for almost thirty minutes before we got a glass of water. Our server, whose name was J.D., was nauseatingly obsequious to the people sitting behind us while we couldn't seem to simply place an order. The food was excellent for the most part, but the service was so poor that it ruined the meal. The waiter's station was behind our table, and we kept reaching behind our chairs to refill our water, get cocktail napkins, etc. To top it all off, the server went into a long discussion about how expensive morel mushrooms are and how lucky we were to be eating them. It was really pretentious and off-putting. It really reinforced the lesson that bad service can ruin a really delicious meal. The restaurant is also very loud, and so we couldn't even have a conversation while we sat for over two and a half hours. While the food is really good, there are too many excellent restaurants in SF to patronize with both great food and great service. I would give it a pass.

May have been my dish but grilled eggplant on foccacia disappointing, eggplant was tough mozzarella rubbery, fries undercooked. Loved the bread, the service was good and the atmosphere lively. Would not go back only because of the lack of vegetarian items, my guest had salmon and said it was excellent.

I describe this restaurant as New Orleans Californian. Everything we ate was great as usual. I ordered just off the appetizer menu, and my husband did the more conventional thing. My favorites were the barbecue shrimp in the spicy butter sauce and the tuna tartare with the fried green tomatoes - think Hawaii poke meets Southern Cuisine! The corn muffin that showed up on my husband's rib plate was the best corn muffin I've ever eaten. But really, everything there is delicious. I think what makes this restaurant stand out the most for me is how perfectly everything is cooked. In lesser hands the food wouldn't be as thrilling. Here, I haven't had one thing that isn't terrific. I always order the chocolate and butterscotch pot de creme (pudding). I don't like super sweet desserts, and the description makes it sound like it would be that, but it's not. It's perfect. How did they make it so perfectly? I would take classes from them to learn how to make pudding that great, and I've made some pretty tasty pudding in my day.

We had walked by this restaurant countless times and finally decided to try it for dinner as the menu looked very good. The ambiance was very nice when we entered and we were seated quickly. Our server came by and asked about drinks and ran down the evenings specials. The menu had a number of great choices but we decided on the duck and pork belly with the blue corn chowder as a started. Rather than getting a bottle of wine we elected to go with their by the glass selections. The Chardonnay we selected with the appetizer arrived quickly and was a good match. The chowder was excellent and the kitchen thoughtfully split it since we were sharing. Our entrees arrived very shortly thereafter but the wine was no where to be seen. We mentioned that to our server, the manager, and the person that I believe is the sommelier and still no wine. As our mains slowly cooled the errant wine finally arrived. The duck was fantastic but the pork belly was much, much richer than we had expected. Normally some lighter flavors are included to offset the richness of the meat but not so for this dish so we wound up taking most of it home. Our server disappeared again and only returned to check on us as we were finishing our meal. At the price point this restaurant is operating in I would have expected much crisper, polished service. I have to say that with all the wonderful places to eat in the City I don't think I would bother with Town Hall again. The cost just wasn't worth it.

Seven of us dropped in for lunch last week. Although we hadn't made a reservation we were quickly seated. All of us opted for sandwiches - I selected the steak sandwich - it hit exactly the spot, served with home-made crisps on the side. Service was polite, friendly and efficient. Recommended - next time I will try Dinner!

I visited this restaurant with some business associates in March 2016. San Francisco is truly one of the great food cities in The USA. And my experience here tells me maybe go someplace else.. The service was fine. The server was very friendly and accommodating. But the service was incredibly slow. I'm referring to how long it took the server to bring a drink to the table after ordering it. 10 min? I understand sometimes food preparation takes additional time. Unless they were making the wine behind the bar themselves this is just too long. The food was really mediocre at best. The catfish – it was just so-so. One of my co-diners or the ribeye he stated it was just OK as well. The atmosphere is is just fine. Beautiful stargazer lilies upon entry, which is always a nice touch. But when it comes right down to it I was disappointed.

My husband and I were visiting San Francisco and Town Hall was recommended to us. We loved it! It was nice and quiet so you could actually talk to the person you came with and the food was spot on. I had the fried chicken and, oh my, was it good! I usually don't eat the skin on chicken, but it was just too good to take off. My husband had the pork chops and he loved them. The service was fine. We would come back in a heartbeat

This restaurant has been around a while and food is consistently solid. Service is attentive but unobtrusive. I was there for a business lunch and we had a good meal, solid American food.

The service was good, friendly, laid-back yet efficient, my water glass was always full. The food was tasty, well prepared and the menu a nicely creative take on Southern food with a modern twist. The BBQ shrimp are delicious. The atmosphere was upscale casual and lively, a little loud though we could still have a conversation.

Good food, great environment. Original recipes. Serving staff is helpful and with good suggestions. Take a chance and try something new and it will probably be pretty good.

My Husband and I decided to have dinner here on our way to the Giants game. We sat at the bar. This place opens at 5, but doesn't start serving until 5:30. If you don't have a reservation and don't mind eating at the bar, if you get there by 5:30, you can usually get a seat. Also, there is a community table you can sit at. They have a great menu and it's often hard to choose because there are many favorites. This time, we split the butter lettuce salad which had the right combination of ingredients. It had room temp blue cheese so you get the great flavor, matchstick crisp Fuji apples, candied walnuts and a light dressing. It was flavorful and bright. Normally we split things so we can have a variety of items. But this time we both opted for Faith's warm ham and cheese toast . This time it was served on a biscuit half, with ham and poached egg with a jalapeño cream sauce. We both died and went to heaven. It was so good, I had to dip bread in the sauce so I didn't waste a drop. It was that good. I had a cappuccino which was made well. My husband had a glass of the Flint and Steel Sauvignon Blanc. He really enjoyed it. All in all, the meal was the highlight. The Giants lost

Absolutely love this space, the staff is amazing and the menu cannot be beat. Visited for a business lunch but will definitely be back one evening.

A friend spent days raving about this place so we treated ourselves to our final dinner of our San Francisco trip by booking a table for 7 at Town Hall. The food exceeded expectations. We shared several of the 'classics' whilst most went with the fried chicken main course. Every dish was top notch with particular callouts being the gazpacho, prawns, meatballs and the fried chicken. The atmosphere was very pleasant and welcoming. On this occasion the service let it down a little - it was slow to place our order and we had to prompt the waiter to provide us with drinks. Once ordered the food came in good time and the service was overall pleasant - just a little slow and inattentive to begin with. Would not stop me visiting again though as I assume this was just this one particular server, and in any case - the tastiness of the food and the nice vibe in Town Hall shone through.

Service: Shockingly disorganized. Only 3 of 4 appetizers arrived, fourth was served 15 minutes after we'd finished those, at least 15 more minutes passed until we flagged down our waiter to find our food, manager advised that our food was on the way and on the house, 15 minutes later as a complimentary bottle of wine is being poured two entrees are delivered, but they were not ours, 15 more minutes pass and food was finally delivered. Arrived at 8:15, because of the above delays left at 10:30 Food: I thought the food was good until a tablemate showed me his raw pork. (See picture.) Unfortunately I had already eaten mine.

Great "American Soul" Food (the king salmon with dijon ham jus - whoa!) - great service - BUT note to management: please oh please stop employing struggling models to represent the first impression for your guests. This isn't LA - I would venture to guess that most of your diners prefer a person who can complete a sentence in a amiable manner over abject insolence.

Great vibe and great food.....go ahead and punch this one up when in the city! Start with a nice variety of oysters and move on to the ribeye......They have a nice wine list of vintage wines, some heavy hitters with vintages in the 80's and 90's!

I went here with a small group recently including an out of town guest and we had an excellent meal, attentive and friendly service - an overall great evening with friends. Cocktails were fabulous and the meal was upscale comfort food. I would recommend it to locals and visitors alike!

I went there with a friend on Tuesday night around 6:30. The restaurant was packed. Nice decor. Reminds me of New Orleans. We ordered a veal meat balls as starter to share. I had the pork chop for main and my friend had the halibut. My friend thought the veal meat balls was a bit pink. I was ok with it, but it tasted a bit gamy! My friend said the halibut was a bit dry. I tried it and thought it was a bit fishy as well, which he ageed. My pork chop came with a cumin sauce. Really, cumin? I was expecting something a bit sweet, like orange or apple sauce. My pork chop was a bit pink in the center, which is how I like it. But the cardinal sin was that it was dry. How the hell can you have dry pork chop nowadays? I thought they all sous-vide the meats and then just mark them on the grill nowadays!

So many good places to eat in San Fran, and Town Hall is up there with a cool atmosphere and delicious menu. Private room was perfect size and service was excellent.

I had the ribs and they were just ok compared to those in Alabama and Texas. But the seafood we had was really good. Very nice restaurant. Gets crowded early.

I highly recommend Town Hall! Great place for dinner. The staff went out of there way to make for a great night out. The food was very well done along with the Hush Puppies. Very nicely done inside and just a short way from the Bay Bridge to see the Lights on the bridge. We had dessert to go....Very tasty lemon bundt cake and I loved their nut brittle. Would go back to try the Crab dish I saw. MMmmmmmm

Jambalaya, gumbo, fried chicken – they were all excellent. Jambalaya and gumbo were spicy and flavorful; fried chicken was crispy and juicy. The mixed drinks were good, especially my Sazerac. On the minus side, it gets very noisy with the after-work drinks crowd.

Came here with my extended family for my birthday and we all loved it! It had something for everyone and it was perfect comfort food with a Louisiana style flare to it. I loved their Cajun Shrimp appetizer and their fried chicken was pretty delicious too! I even tried fried squash blossoms that I was hesitant about but LOVED them! On top of the food being great the atmosphere is fantastic, its an intimate style old warehouse feel.. I loved that their "check presenters" were old rented library books! Will definitely be back when Im in the city.

I had high hopes for this restaurant with all the rave reviews on tripadvisor and also from fellow colleagues. If you're going to go, make sure you get reservations in advance, or you may be looking at a 2 hour wait. We were seated near the entrance of the restaurant under a tent like structure with heating lamps outside. The chairs were akin to something at an outdoor bbq. Our waiter finally comes over and we were ready to order an appetizer but hadn't decided on drinks. "well I'm not going to put in items out of order, so I'll come back when you're ready to order drinks." Really? You can't be bothered to bring hungry people an appetizer? We ordered the buttermilk biscuits, la quercia speck & red pepper jelly starter along with the roasted veal meatballs with potato puree. The biscuits were quite tasty, but you only get three and they are very tiny! The speck (basically ham), was a little fatty for my taste, but my companions liked it. If you like meatballs, I'm sure you will enjoy the veal. I found them to be a little soggy. For my main dish, I ordered the local halibut, farro & baby zucchini dish. I requested a substitution for the farro for potatoes and after a very snotty look by the waiter, said "I'll try." Bizarre. When I got my dish, of course no potatoes, only farro. Which is not tasty by the way. Way too chewy and flavorless. I was told the chef "didn't have time" to make the substitution. For such a "nice" restaurant, you would think they would be more accommodating. The halibut was prepared nicely and the highlight of the evening. The remainder of the food and the service was severely lacking. I will not be going back to this establishment.

A little South of Market Town Hall has the city's respect and it is a great old building well renovated with a variety of small spaces in this two story restaurant. Great Bar that does its work well. Well managed restaurant with highly professional management and wait staff. Great energy and a fun place.

Showed up with no reservation, and they bent over backwards to find a table - really working to earn the business when they had people lined up and didn't need it. That was the first exceptional thing they did. The service was great - there when you needed them, not hovering when you didn't. But the food was just amazing. The appetizers were not the highlight. The shrimp was very good and the veal meatballs good, but they could have been more flavorful. The entre, however, was amazing. I ordered the pork and it was perhaps the best pork I've ever eaten. Super job with the flavor, tenderness and presentation. I would go back just for that dish!

We sat at the bar to eat dinner. The bartender was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and wine choices. Good wine choices by the glass. We had the ribs which were outstanding. They weren't fatty or overcooked. The cornbread muffins were fantastic as well. This is my second time here and we will be back.

Our hotel suggest this restaurant on Howard St. We took a taxi to get to this restaurant. It looked fairly quiet until the door opened. A local place where the bar tender Patrick Michael knows your name. I have the fish special which was perfectly done. My guest had the rabbit and it was also wonderful. The place is busy and packed. A little noisy but that's fine. Lemon drop was great. Have fun!!

Town Hall serves first-class food in a relaxed atmosphere. I had the trout amandine -- trout wrapped with Italian bacon (pancetta). The trout and the vegetables with which is was served would be at the head of the class in any city. The restaurant is not far from Market Street and the Palace Hotel. This is a real gem with exceptional food and nice service. I'd go back.

They were amazing, crunchy chicken with jut the right amount of spice with delicious waffles and syrup. Would definitely eat there again and eat the exact same thing!

Once again, the best Mardi Gras party in San Francisco. Year after year, the entire staff was fantastic. A friendly smile, prompt service, great dishes and great space makes Town Hall a place to consider not just for Mardi Gras, but every occassion. The outdoor space is especially cozy and fun for small and large groups alike.

Town Hall is a fun restaurant located on the edge of the Financial District in SF, on the corner of Howard and Fremont. It's located in a charming historic brick building, with high ceilings and lots of light through the big windows. Very busy for lunch, and subsequently quite noisy, but the service was attentive, and the food came out from the kitchen almost amazingly fast. I'm always on the search for the perfect burger, and Town Hall's comes very close--tender, hand-formed patty, soft brioche bun, good cheddar, excellent butter lettuce, and a big slice of heirloom tomato, plus red onions and house-made pickles, if you want them. And the accompanying fries are superb. My husband's pulled pork sandwich was tasty, though a bit more chunky than shredded, and came with an interesting bacon and macaroni salad. The table bread was an unusual whole grain sourdough, and very fresh. Good wine list. With the quick service at lunch, you can easily get in and out in an hour or less. A great experience.

My wife, adult son, and I dined at Town Hall on a recent visit to SF, and we were very pleased. It features a great location, spacious interior, was attractively decorated and had a friendly staff. We had reservations and were seated immediately. I enjoyed the ham and egg on toast appetizer, while my wife tried the heirloom tomato salad (she thought the tomato to cucumber ratio to be a bit off--not enough tomatoes). Our son liked the fried chicken, but thought diners should be warned that the coating on the chicken was very spicy. Although we went on a busy evening (Giants were playing at home), Margie, our server, delivered crisp, professional service. We will definitely return on our next trip. I want to try the signature ham dishes.

I'm sure great for romance and family outings too. Been here for several business outings and always comfortable and great location. The food is great and menu has good selection

Had a wonderful meal and excellent service at Town Hall. Waiter was helpful to our group and we shared some items thanks to his tips. Flavor, presentation and ambiance fantastic.

We were in a small private room in Town Hall for my brother's 60th birthday party. The food was very good. The service was excellent. The room even had its own restroom, a real plus for an older crown

Cannot begin to say enough bought the care given to us. Yes, it was expensive, but worth it! The only flaw to the scheme was the loss of valet service a week before the dinner....something out of the restaurant's control. The table was beautiful and flower pieces small and elegant. The passed appetizers (crab balls and veal meatballs)....yummy. The cheese and vegetable trays were attractively displayed but could have been placed better as many I think missed them. Our dinner choices were a hit....talked to everyone and all had something different and all were pleased. Only drawback was the too rare prime rib...know one person sent it back to be killed on the grill. The salmon was elegant and just enough. Heard the grilled chicken, as well as, the vegetarian choice were wonderful. The two servers were lovely and one also being the bartender went out of her way to make sure she could make me margaritas. Above and beyond! Dessert was a moist tasty New York cheesecake.

Service was excellent, but be careful when ordering, they sent us home with most of what we ordered as the portions were humungous. Food was nice, atmosphere was also quite nice. Perhaps a little OTT for the 8 kids we had in our party.

Setting: One of the few restaurants close t o Howard's and 4th street. Has a welcoming deck outside - which is not so common for San Francisco. Nice and tasty decor on the inside. Very busy. Food: I visited 2 times in a row and was surprised by very good food. The chicken on my salad tasted overcooked while the other ingredients where fresh, tasty and in the right proportion. On my 2nd time I had the tuna melt and the jalapeño cornbread... Outstanding on the paladar. service: As I only have been here during lunch, the service was quick, friendly and eager to reply quickly. I would come back again anytime.

Went to this place as recommendation. Was ok but not great. Ordered a nice bottle of wine that was not as expected and our guest is a serious wine snob. They didn't offer credit or another bottle or anything. It was quite expensive. They had guy come taste it but that was that. Food was average at best. Southern flare done ok. We tried several different dishes and none were overly impressive. Very noisy restaurant.

We were recommended to this restaurant by a family member who travels to SFO frequently. We walked there from over by the Moscone Center (no feelings of insecurity) and were seated on time. The décor with exposed bricks, beams, and pleasantly subdued (but enough to read the menu) lighting was lovely. The place was about half full when we arrived at 8 but filled up as we were there. Service was friendly and professional with good knowledge of wines and the menu. The food (spinach salad, meatballs, Faith's egg on toast, and fried chicken) was excellent and the dessert (butterscotch and chocolate pot de crème) was absolutely wonderful (thanks to the people at the next table for recommending this!). All in all a lovely experience for a nice dinner with a spouse; made even nicer when the family member who recommended had also arranged to pick up the tab :)

Out of town friends made the reservation for our girlie week end and it worked very well, something tasty to please everyone....enjoyed the seafood stew and oysters! Our only complaint was the noise level at times extremely loud which made our conversation difficult. Otherwise good service and the manager left his dinner to help us flag down a taxi...very kind!

The food is always good here whether it is for lunch or dinner. Lunch doesn't have to be expensive- you will enjoy the food and the ambiance. It is always busy at lunch time. So, it is a good idea to make a reservation a week before. You will like the crowd. You will love the food and service

Came here for lunch on Friday as my friend works nearby. We sat in the patio area and both of us ordered the linguine and I also had the seafood corn chowder. The food was delicious all the way around. No complaints. Pasta was cooked perfectly and the portion size was just right for lunch. I will have to come back to try dinner.

I think my title says it all. Two of my co-workers and I came here after a team event and we ordered BBQ Short Ribs and Fried Chicken...and man was it awesomely good! Loved them both equally. Great quality food and highly recommend. The ribs were soft and tender, fell right off the bone. The corn bread that came with it was too yummy! The fried chicken was one of the best fry chicken I've had, and I am a big fan of fried chicken. I recommend Town Hall and recommend what I ordered as well. Customer service is good here. You have to make a reservation to get a table or else you'll have to sit at the communal table.

One of my go-to restaurants when I want some comfort food. Have to start with their biscuits and ham which comes with a sweet/spicy red pepper jelly. The last time I was there I went with a few small plates so we had the butternut squash soup, the BBQ shrimp on garlic toast, butter lettuce salad and jambalaya. All were good. And you have to try their fried chicken and bacon old fashioned. Wait staff is always super helpful. So come here if you need some comfort food with an SF spin.

Still remains a fried chicken classic equal to Friedman’s in New York ! . With a smaller waiting and guest list post vivid still a safe bet when arriving to SOMA sleepy Howard st . The combination of a good and solid wine list and after dinner drinks and southern dish’s that make you smile

The atmosphere was nice, it was hard to have a conversation over all the noise but we had the best waiter one could ask for. Our host and hostess told us what was highly rated but I think it was just over rated. We should have gone from the pimento cheese straight to the dessert. I am not sure what veggie mixture my duck was laying on but I could have been happy with just that. My duck was dry and I was disappointed with it. When it came time for dessert the others decided on some kind of chocolate and butterscotch dish which they enjoyed. To have traveled this far for dinner all I can say is I was disappointed other than our friendly entertaining waiter.

Had a dinner with 2 adults to catch up. The selection of food was good, with a variety that would cater to most tastes. The service was good, with a waiter who was attentive and courteous. Wine selection was also good. It is a large restaurant and when we were there on a Wednesday night it was quite busy. Probably good for friends and groups, but probably not so for a couple - at least on the night we were there.

This was our first visit to Town Hall and we weren't disappointed. We started with the Gulf Shrimp, Veal Meatballs and Kettle One Martini's...all were outstanding. On to the main courses, two of us had the ribs and they were perfectly smoked with a really good sauce. The other two had fried chicken (mmmmm) and the blackened NY steak. If there is any room for improvement, our server was a bit distant and all business. An engaging, personable server would have made this a five star experience. We'll be back!

Great place to go to for most groups of people. I saw business people, friends going out, a family party, it's an anyone restaurant! The food was almost as great as our waitress! SO good, I recommend the friend chicken or risotto. However, seating was very close together. That family party I mentioned, they were right on top of us. High ceiling didn't make it better. The lay out and design of the restaurant was very cool, great vibes.

Enjoyed our company dinner here. The food was excellent, with unique and delicious choices. Wine recommended by the staff was also very good... the environment can be quite noisy, so don’t plan on table conversation with a large group. Fine for those in earshot around you.

We were 6 for dinner and came early (18) to this lively and great restaurant. We ordered a large number of dishes to share and surely this was a great strategy. Everything was well prepared and and experience into the world of south tastes. For instance tender chicken breast on waffle, cornbread etc. All served quickly and with a smile. Great evening

Oh I Loved it. I had the fried chicken... it's not something I'll cook at home. Yummy, It was perfect and not skimpy, as was the collard greens and little corn bread pudding squares with a tad of gravy!!! Superb service, we made a reservation which was recommended. I would love to go back and try another dish, they all sounded so good. They offer valet parking (except on Sundays) which is a bonus as parking in the city is never easy. We went the day after Valentines day, so it was pretty quiet. Enjoy

We had a business meeting and we had a great experience. We arrived at 11:30 am to avoid the crowds and leave at 12:30. Three out of four had the gumbo soup and we also ordered the hot peppers. Both were excellent and only 1 out of 10 are hot, no one found the hot one. Go early if you want to be able to talk at a reasonable level, it became very loud at 12:30.

I met a friend for Happy Hour and the food and wine were to die for. It does get crowded, but people are friendly. My friend and I were lucky to find seating at the bar. We were served by Jamal and he knows his food and drinks. He was so nice and friendly. He recommended this amazing cab from Napa. It is pricey, but so worth it.

Town Hall is a great option to experience american food, mostly fishes and shellfish. The enviroment is very nice (a bit dark), and the location is very close from Union Square and three blocks away from the Embarcadero. The restaurant's wine list is large and varied, offering options from the US an abroad. The price range, including a bottle of wine, is about 70 USD per person. I definitely recommend this option in San Francisco.

The location is easy to find. The place is so cozy, the food and drinks is so so good! The duck is so tender, I never thought I would loved it! Appetizers re not so common but very good. The lady who served our table is very friendly too. Highly recommend place!

The appetizers were amazing.. biscuits, ham and pepper jelly are a must, as well as the pimento dip! Service from our waiter was excellent the gentleman was from France, he made the night even better. Fried chicken and corn bread were finger licking good! The only blemish was one of us had the skirt steak which was pretty bland, but enough food to go around it didn't matter in the end!

Town Hall was recommended to my by a local on my inbound flight. I took the 15 minute walk from the Moscone Center and since I was by myself, I sat at the bar. This place could be transported into New Orleans as an upscale dinner and you would never second guess it's design. It's beautiful inside and the staff are very attentive. The bartender was very cool and recommended the BBQ Shrimp, which I ordered. They were INCREDIBLE. I must add them to the top 5 best things I've ever tasted. The shrimp were perfectly grilled and sat atop a thick slice of sourdough bread and drenched in this dark rouge sauce. It was smoky and divine. I wanted to lick the plate clean. I also ordered the Jambalaya and the Butterscotch Creme Brulee. Both were very good as well, but the Jambalaya was on the higher end of spicy and I almost couldn't finish it (I said almost). This is a perfect place for a client dinner or to impress someone.

We were on a quick trip to San Francisco for business, and my husband had eaten here before and liked it. The question is: what's not to like? The service was friendly, the atmosphere is fun, and the food was great. We started with an appetizer of oysters on the shell. Delicious! Not in the slightest bit fishy or oystery. For appetizers, we each tried something completely different. I went with a lighter choice, which was the grilled peach and plum salad. This was, in fact, very light but very tasty. It had a bit of something called pistachio brittle, which added just a little bit of sweet crunch to the salad. My husband had the not so light wam ham and cheese toast, with a poached egg and jalepeno cream. This appetizer could easily be an entire meal for itself, or it could be shared between four people. It was warm and creamy, with great flavors. In an effort not to ruin his entree, he deliberately avoided eating the whole thing, even though it was tempting. For our entrees, I ordered the thing that I had seen on the website, which looked amazing - the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. Like the ham and cheese on toast, this was a flavorful, creamy, and heavy dish that you just want to keep eating after you're more than full. It came with a kind of corn salad that was also very good. My husband had the halibut, which was pan-seared with some vegetables, a considerably healthier choice than mine. But while it was healthier, it was not any less delicious. We ended up being so full by the end of our meal that we coudln't even think about any dessert. This was a really fun time at a great restaurant with great food!

Amazing food, great service, good wines!! One of my favorite places in SF, well located and fair price! Amazing restaurant, I do recommend.

My wife and I dined here with our friend , who recommended the place. When you enter the restaurant, it is impressive , warm , well decorated yet not too ostentatious. The high ceiling gives it a spacious feel too. Service is prompt and efficient. The menu options are very good and southern type usa cuisine. We tried Faith's warm ham and cheese toast and poached eggs for starters. It was marvelous and just nice for sharing. For mains, we tried the buttermilk fried Mary's chicken and house smoked St. Louis ribs. The chicken was one of the best I have ever tasted- crisp on the outside and meat was moist and tender . The ribs are good too but unless you have a huge appetite , it's better to share. We didn't have space for dessert , which is always a pity because I would have liked to have tried the carrot cake or butterscotch and chocolate pot de creme ! Staff were attentive and helpful . Pricing is on the slightly higher side but by San Francsico standards , it's probably usual. One issue is that the toilet is on a higher floor and a bit of walk..so plan ahead if you need to go.

Fancy, but not pretentious! Ample wait-staff to serve your every desire, very helpful & friendly. Incredible menu and delicious, flavorful food - we loved every item we ordered. We will definitely dine here again when in San Francisco!

Recently had dinner with a group here, all of whom enjoy good Southern cooking. The place was bustling, clearly a popular location, and yet we were seated immediately. Staff was very attentive and yet not overbearing. Appetizers we tried included country ham, biscuits, tuna tartare and green fried tomatoes, and veal meatballs. All were quite delicious! Mains included burgers, St. Louis ribs (finger licking good!) and the most amazing Mac and cheese! Our party all enjoyed their choices and we would definitely return.

Town Hall was a fun restaurant where the food was good, but not great. The pimento cheese and BBQ Shrimp appetizers could have had a little more flavor. Fried Chicken and Apare ribs were quite tasty. Our waiter was very attentive. In a town with so many excellent restaurants I think you can do better.

We've booked the 2nd floor private dining room several times for business dinners of 20 or more....Town Hall has always delivered! We received attentive service with passed hors d'oeuvres to start with everyone mingling and then sat down for prix fixe 3 course meal. . The dessert of butterscotch pot de creme is killer!!

The restaurant was conveniently located in the financial district. The appetizer selection was very good. We chose the BBQ shrimp and they were great. The service was very good and our waitress made sure we knew exactly what was in each dish as we were trying to avoid certain foods. The wine selection was average. The main courses had good options. We chose the pork and it was delicious. Overall this is a good experience.

I went to Town Hall while visiting San Francisco, and having a meal there was a great experience. The food came as ordered, the drinks were really chilled. There was no delay serving us and the staff were attentive and thoughtful. No doubts I'm coming back there when in San Francisco!

Went here with 4 colleagues after a business confernce based on one colleague's recommendation, and I must say the place was wonderful. Not only is the atmosphere very cool, but the food was delicious. I was in the mood to try a couple different appetizers, so had the Cornmeal fried oysters and "Faith’s warm ham and cheese toast, poached egg, jalapeño cream: - which was outstanding. Everyone at the table was dipping into my jalapeno cream so beware!! I also got a side of jalapeno corn bread ,which again, everyone at the table loved. The waitress also brought over some biscuits with different butters and jams for the table which were to die for. One of my colleagues had the famous buttermilk fried chicken, which he said was outstanding. Service was also very friendly and they had a nice wine list. Would not hesitate going here again! Loved it!

This restaurant was again a pleasure. The food, wine and service were all quite good. The only drawback in my opinion was the high level of noise. For some this is a problem and others it does not bother. The waiter was knowledgeable and very helpful with the wines. The by the glass selections had some interesting choices in addition to the old standard type selections The food has a little of a New Orleans style influence which I found interesting and enjoyable. It is fairly pricey but worth it in my opinion. Reservations are strongly recommended

My first time here. I'll be back. We were with customers, and everyone ordered something different. Everyone was pleased. Nice upscale vibe with reasonable prices. You'll enjoy it!

One of the finest place I've been to in San Francisco. Located in an old and renovated building, the restaurant has a unique ambiance and a great service. Food is really good too. Selected the Asparagus and Tuna Tartare starters and ordered their Scallops as main dish. Ended our dinner with a Butterscotch and chocolate pot a la creme. Simply delicious. #BonAppetit

My wife and I ate here last Friday night joining my nephew who lives nearby in a high rise. He had heard of it but never been there. Our reservations were for six o.clock, and typically of a Friday at that hour, the bar was jammed. But we were seated immediately, and proceeded to order. I love oysters. There were four on the menu, and you order as many as you want. I asked my waiter about freshness and was assured they all were fresh. He also gave me a detailed run down of what each type was like. I settled for "Puget Sound" and was very pleased with the result. My wife and nephew each had a salad (different choices) and both were pronounced excellent. I chose St.Louis ribs with a barbecue sauce, Jim picked a fish dish and my wife the one vegetarian item on the menu. My dinner was so large I could not finish it, but it was very nice. Jim and Edith were also pleased. Our desserts were outstanding also - gelato and a cheesecake. My wife said her wine was also top notch. The overall atmosphere is casual chic - probably everyone there (except Edith and I) worked in the high tech field. We like restaurants with the sounds of activity, and Town Hall has that. Our waiter was knowledgeable and friendly, never pushing, and very professional. This is not a cheap place. The tab (my treat) was close to $200.00 without tip, but inclusive of San Francisco's very high restaurant taxes - 14.75% including what is called a "SF Employee Mandate" of 5% and an 8.75% sales tax. So, if you want to splurge in a high energy, well run place with top level food and service, Town Hall is a place to go in "The City".

We live in Dubai now, so when we are back during the summer we make an effort to enjoy the diversity, freshness and creativity of San Francisco cuisine. Town Hall is kind of an old-timer now. Kind of like me. :) Unfortunately, the love was no longer coming through in the food. It was by no means bad, but completely unremarkable.

our last evening in San Francisco before we go back to Holland: dinner at the Town Hall. It was loud for old ears but the food was excellent and the service also. Very friendly with a good explanation. Can be advised to eat there. The price is reasonable.

It's a landmark restaurant with a perpetual waiting list, so no surprise it's a great place to meet family or friends for good food and drink. Go with a plan to have an excellent meal and perfect service, and just know it won't come cheap!

maybe i was there on a bad night, but the service was really slow. the dessert was the best part of the night

Regular customer - but perhaps no longer. Went to Town Hall to reward a collegue for exemplary contributons - so wanted something special. While the food was good, there were three problems: 1. The hostess could not find our reservation which we had made through open table. She simply said "can't find your reservation" then proceeded to ignore us. Rude. When I mentioned I had received a confirmation, she continued to ignore me and then began to help another table. After confirming with my admin that we had a resv, she looked again and found us. No apology, nothing. I felt really helpless - as if she could care less about our situation, and was prepared to simply blow us off. 2. Way to lough for a conversation. 3. Waiter completetly inattentive. Took forever to find him at the end to just get our check - even though by then the place was basically empty. Weak. I left a similar comment on open table inviting the restaurant to reply, but nothing.

Happy Hour for 25 was a big success. Very high quality food and attentive servers. The upstairs space is very comfortable for a private event.

Had business dinner here. Service was fine. Drink menu was creative and extensive. Ambiance was nice with a rugged old construction look and feel. Food was just okay. The server was raving about the Pork Duo so I tried it. The pork chop was chewy and the pork belly had an off flavor. I can’t say I enjoyed it. My colleagues got the fresh halibut and everyone seemed to enjoy it. So my main dish might have been an outlier. Would I eat here again? Probably not.

I ate at town hall for a business lunch with some partners on a recent trip to San Francisco. Food and service were great. The skirt steak and corn bread were both delicious.

The food was really good (apart from one under-cooked piece of chicken that was quickly replaced with profuse apologies). My appetiser of tuna tartare was scrumptious, and I now know just how good a pork chop can be! Our waiter was wonderfully quirky and fun. Had a great time at Town Hall.

Business dinner in the district last Thursday night.... Chose to grab a bite at town hall... From the greeting at the door to the send off all was handled professionally and with great attention. Menu is bountiful and eclectic... The server of canary island origin was on top of the cuisine and steamed all towards a great selection of starters and mains... The crunch moment came when the Pinot suggested fell far short of the cuisine... No problem... Bottle taken back and replaced with a much better option... Smiles and understanding throughout... This is what differentiates the real from the pretenders... Great work by the entire team!, bravo

We had a hosted event for 23 people at the restaurant with their mid range menu. The bar service and service during the event was exceptional. Appetisers of were well prepared and plating was very nice. Main courses of St. Louis style ribs and corn bread and Mahi mahi were very good. My guests were delighted with the entire evening.

We really enjoyed this place, a little New Orleans style in San Francisco. try the Tuna Tartare it had just the right amount of heat, just wonderful. Also if you like BBQ Ribs with a little heat, you have to be willing to get your fingers a little messy but well worth it, the service was fabulous even gave us hot towels to clean up after eating the ribs, perfect! The the deserts were over the top, try the butterscott pudding, it's not your run of the mill pudding, chocolate on the bottom with small pieces of chocolate brittle in the butterscott a great combo!

With underwhelming service to boot! San Francisco is a city replete with a number of world class restaurants. This is not one of of them. Nothing in our experience here would call us to return to this restaurant. I would suggest you look for other options unless expensive and OK is your cup of tea.

I had the opportunity to attend a business lunch at the Town Hall in San Francisco on Howard Street. We had the upstairs private dining room reserved for about a dozen of us with a mostly fixed menu. First off, be prepared for the entrance pictured on Howard Street, which brings you into the restaurant via the patio, kind of a strange entrance, but that's it, so just proceed on in. The private dining room is upstairs and nicely sized and laid out with plenty of room to move around the long dining table. Service was very attentive. I started with the mushroom soup which was served in a nice turen and was plenty Hot, a great thing especially when dining with a group. My entree was the chicken breast with Jambalya with steamed sprouts, in a nice presentation (see picture). Dessert was a nicely presented custard with some great chocolate embedded and promptly served coffee. All in all, a nice dining experience even with a group of 12, though be prepared with your high limit credit card if you're the host.

My Husband and I love this place. They are always busy, so if you don't have a reservation, you can get there right when they open at 5:30 and you can usually get a table. If you have a large party without a reservation you can sit at their community table and get service. We usually sit at the bar. The service is good and the bartenders are friendly and entertaining. This trip we had the pimiento cheese appetizer. It came with grilled crusted French bread and was heavy on the pimiento. I liked it because it was like a gourmet version vs the comfort food version you usually get. My husband was a fan. Though he doesn't like veges. Next I had the butter lettuce salad with candied pecans, apple slivers and blue cheese dressing. It was really good. I actually got my husband to try it. He loved the dressing. Next I had the jalapeño cream and ham toast that comes with a fried egg. As always the visit is to have this dish. My husband was disappointed because rather than the brioche toast, it was a layered sourdough that was grilled, so was more doughy. I enjoyed it, but like the toast to be crunchy and stand up to the jalapeño cream sauce. We finished up with the butterscotch dessert that came with chocolate pot de creme and English toffee. This was worth the splurge of calories.

Spacious place with young business crowd . I enjoyed fried chicken and a sampling of southern hams. Portions are large. Good wine list and fun cocktail specialities. Veggie friendly. BBQ shrimp is swimming in sauce and not good. Service very good with valet.

The food here was fantastic. They just changed their menu and the rabbit was fantastic, so was their chicken and poblano soup. I also ordered a side of corn bread and OMG SOUTHERN FOOD IS SO GOOD! I'd be fat if I ate this food frequently but what a gem! Everyone enjoyed the atmosphere and our waitress Ora was extremely attentive and terribly helpful with wine and food recommendations. I would definitely come back!

Really enjoyed our group dinner at Town Hall. Interesting to have a Southern Food joint in SF, but it was great. The Fried Chicken is highly recommended, along with the jambalaya and the mac and cheese sides.

I've only been here a few days but already I can spot a bad restaurant. The food tastes ok, there were a few of us so we had just about everything on the menu but nothing was stand-out great. Nobody actually said "mmm, try some of this, it's lovely" which for me is the sign of an average place.

I had a fantastic experience at Town Hall. I was visiting on business and brought a business client with ne. Our server, Ronnie was training a new hire and he had impeccable humor, serving style and great stories. The food was fantastic and recommended by the server along with a great wine for pairing. I will definitely be back.

The food was good, potions are huge. I had the pork chop and ended up taking most of it home. My friend had the steak and said it was delicious. My only complaint was that the noise was deafening, don't come here if you want to have a discussion with your dinner companion. We got here late (8:30) and it was quieter by the time our entrees arrived.

We had drinks and snacks here one evening, it was busy but we got a seat at a communal table. The drinks aren't cheap but there is a good selection. We also shared the meatballs, which were delicious. It's quite a trendy loud place, not somewhere for a quiet evening drink but it's a fun atmosphere and I would go back for both bar food and to eat at the main restaurant.

The service was outstanding, and the food was above and beyond expectations. The cuisine is based on comfort food, so it's not geared for dieters or diners looking for light snacks etc. Really delicious food for after work or on a brisk San Francisco evening.

Went here with friends who live in San Fran and love it. We had a ton of appetizers all were delicious. The entrees were mixed bag. I wouldn't get the steak. - lots of fat and tough. Hubby loved the friend chix. I would stick with veal meatballs, shrimp appetizer and ham platter! Yum.

After coming here for over 8 years, it's nice to know some things never change. The menu is pretty much the same and the food is consistent. It's like comfort food in a comfy setting, a cool place to people watch. My husband and I like to order: Veal meatballs Jalepeno cornbread Barbecue Gulf shrimp with toast Fuji apple butter lettuce salad with blue cheese Pork chop Apple crisp desset DROP THE MIC after dessert!

We were very happy with dinner here. The service was fast and friendly and the food was excellent. My husband and I shared the Johnson County ham with buttermilk biscuits to start - plenty for two. His sea bass was outstanding and I had the chicken which was also very good, if enough for two. The butterscotch & chocolate pot de creme was worth the indulgence. In a city ovoid restaurants, this one stands out.