Izzy’s Steaks and Chops (Restaurant Review by Michelle Sliwa)
Izzy’s Steaks and Chops
3345 Steiner Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Tel: (415) 563-0487
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting San Francisco for a writing conference. On the second evening, nine of our group decided to meet for dinner. After wandering down Chestnut Street in the wind for what seemed like a half hour, and was probably really only ten minutes (I was cold and hungry), we stumbled upon Izzy’s Steaks and Chops off of Steiner St.
The members of the group perused the menu out front, and it looked to me like there might have been some sticker shock. Nonetheless, I think we were all starving, so Izzy’s it was. We entered en masse and waited for a table for our large party. Luckily for us, we embarked upon this adventure at 6:00pm on a Wednesday night. They were able to seat us almost immediately!
The inside of Izzy’s is really lovely. Austere is the word that comes to mind. The location that we visited on Steiner has two levels, and we were dining upstairs. The lighting was soft, and there were many black and white photos and news clippings framed on the walls. They were not tacky, but lent a feeling of authenticity.
Our waiter, a hulking, yet hot, Kazakhstani man came to take our order. Unfortunately for us, he stood in the pretty line too long, not taking any detour to the smart line, because after our drinks came out nothing was right. He couldn’t figure out whose food belonged to whom. And then we really baffled him by asking him to separate the checks. Apparently it was an impossible feat for the feeble of mind. It took over an hour to get our bill, and then no one’s was correct.
The food was good. I’m choosing good on purpose. My top sirloin steak could have been phenomenal, but the sauce was mediocre, and it was undercooked. Sorry, I just can’t eat my meat bloody rare; I asked for medium well. I didn’t hear any other complaints. And one woman in our party absolutely loved the pork loin. The food was expensive but not over the top. It was about what I would expect to pay for a nice steakhouse.
I will however rave about the potatoes. The “Izzy’s” potatoes are called au gratin on the menu. But we did manage to get from our waiter what was in them: Gouda, Parmesan and grilled onions. They were to die for!
As we left at 9:00pm, business at the bar downstairs was booming. It had attracted a crowd of young, 30-something aged professionals. If I had the opportunity to dine there again, I definitely would. I could always try something different on the menu. Really, just give me a plate of those potatoes and a drink, and I’d be good to go.
Michelle Sliwa, a fourteen year educator, currently works as a high school counselor in Chino Hills, CA. Her raison d’etre are her two children. A voracious reader, she is currently writing her first novel as well. A native Californian, her favorite spots are the beach or Palm Springs. It’s all about the sun!
