Hayes Street Grill
324 Hayes Street
Tel: 415-863-5545
Like the most recent performance of Phantom of the Opera I attended, this landmark contemporary seafood restaurant, the creation of former Chronicle food columnist, Patricia Unterman, needs a committed revamping: the sets, cast and offerings are wearing thin after more than a few years of coasting on laurels earned a decade ago.
From entering this arrogant Bastille to departing much lighter in the wallet, one can expect consistency. Unfortunately it's not the consistency most of us seek when searching for great dining experiences in one of the Mecca's of the culinary world. This is the consistency of false pride, or simply arrogance.
One is greeted in the clumsy entrance by a stern, tight-faced host, who invariably asks if you have a reservation, opera night or not. My party has been intimidated by this greeting on each occasion we visit this overblown fishwrap joint. The irony is that every time this occurs, we can see plainly that the place is virtually empty. This attitude carries on into the forced visit to the empty bar, and then into the dining room, but is softened when the waiter starts attempting to 'build' the check, a practice that is dead almost everywhere these days, thank goodness. I think what offends me most is that the arrogance displayed by all who work here is fiction, stranger than fiction in fact because it is unearned.
Our waiter winced when we declined his wine suggestion, and opted for bottled water, but remained civil as we questioned him about the night's specials and some requests we were interested in making. I have dined here at least 25 times over the years, and the inevitable huddle of the waitperson and the manager, each casting glances at out party does not bode well for our upcoming experience, and sure enough, the manager/host soon came to our table to inquire if we are going on to the opera or symphony, because the 'house' would not be able to satisfy our requests in a timely fashion if that, indeed, was the case.
We settle for the house salad at $6.25, some Hog Island oysters to share at $8.00, and each of us selected an entrée: yellowfin tuna with veggies instead of fries (add $2.50 for substituting) at $8.50, marinated North Carolina shrimp with roasted tomatoes, herbed polenta and braised greens at $18.75, Niman-Schell rib eye steak with roasted onions, mustard butter and french fries at $19.50, and the highly acclaimed crab cakes with basil beurre blanc, frisee and fries at $17.50. We had five glasses of a good Chardonnay, two Chimay ales, and three espressos after this meal and wound up spending $175.00 including tip for mediocre food, service and attitude.
The food was actually good, but the attitude and service that the patron is greeted with sucks, and during this visit, the dining room never achieved more than 50% occupancy, yet each new arrival was interrogated as we were by that stern, unfriendly host. I'm amazed this place continues without a major overhaul, because I don't think it is worth the price or irritation.
I do not recommend the Hayes Street Grill.
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