When the McHale family walked into House of Prime Rib on the fabled restaurant's first night of indoor dining since a brief reopening in October, bartender Frank Marcello greeted them by name.
It’d been a year since Marcello has served a cocktail in the beloved San Francisco restaurant, but he hasn’t lost a step, joyously shaking up Manhattans behind a plexiglass barrier at the bar and welcoming regulars like the McHales.
“I think they picked up right where they left off,” says Bart McHale, who just polished off the English Cut of prime rib, with mashed potato and creamed corn. “We’ve been coming here for 40 years; it’s like they never missed a beat.”
“It’s like eating at your home,” adds his wife, Josie. “They make you feel like you're coming into your home.”
(from left to right) Soun Manyvong, Saifon Manyvong, Terry Manyvong, and Kim Manyvong enjoy a family night out at the House of Prime Rib on the first night of its reopening, Wednesday, March 4, 2021.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATEThe hospitality and the food haven’t changed, but the environment does feel different. Carving now takes place in stations at the center of the room as opposed to tableside. The dining rooms are quieter and you won’t bump elbows while walking through the narrow hallway leading to the bathroom, or while jockeying for a bar seat. Regulations restrict them to 25% capacity and parties of four. As a result, many tables are roped off, and it feels like the layout errs on the side of caution with regards to spacing, as opposed to the creative interpretation of six feet used when designing many parklets. Temperature checks are required at the door, and masks must be worn on entry, although many diners removed them once seated.
“You’re not making it through these doors without getting your temperature taken,” says co-owner Steven Betz, speaking outside the restaurant.
Guest's temperatures are checked upon entrance.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATEServers and cutters are all masked, with roughly 75% of them vaccinated and all of them having received their first shot by next week. A hospital-grade ventilation system was installed shortly after the initial restaurant shutdown last year, and every night, the restaurant is fogged out for sterilization, in what co-owner Steven Betz describes as a several hour process.
When asked how it feels to reopen, Betz has a jubilant energy.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s been a while, and it’s about time. I can see it on our customer’s faces; they’re more happy than we are.”
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATE
San Francisco just reopened indoor dining. Here's what House of Prime Rib was like on the first night.
Patricia Chang/Special to SFGATEHistorically, HOPR has been one of the more difficult reservations in town to acquire and that hasn’t changed. Tables are booked for the next three months and walk-ins are not recommended, although it does accept takeout orders. Those who did score a table looked very, very happy to be there, and the bartender remarked on a significantly high volume of cocktail orders.
“There’s a lot of people smiling,” says Betz. “I haven’t seen this in a while. It makes it kind of worth it right now.”
House of Prime Rib, located at 1906 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco, is open for indoor dining starting Wednesday, March 3. Its hours of operation are Wednesday to Sunday, 4 to 8 p.m.
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