While I’m not usually a chain restaurant girly, I’ve been wanting to try this slightly more upscale one for a while and I have to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Hillstone is a restaurant group with locations across the country and I’ve passed by the San Francisco spot countless times over the years. It’s definitely a popular place but we went early on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and were able to get a table right away.

Inside Hillstone.

Their menu leans New American with staples like shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, Caesar salad, sandwiches, burgers, and more. Since it was our first time, we ordered some of the classic dishes I kept seeing people rave about online.

Grilled Artichokes (8/10).

The grilled artichokes had a really nice smoky flavor and paired perfectly with the creamy dipping sauce. My only real complaint was that a few pieces were a bit stringy but overall the flavor was spot on.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip (7.5-8/10).

This was warm, comforting, and super satisfying especially with the crispy tortilla chips and cool sour cream. We both agreed the tomato “salsa” on the side was unnecessary. It had that very generic American salsa taste (and not in a good way) so we barely touched it. Definitely a personal preference.

Ding’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich (8.5/10).

We both appreciated how well constructed this sandwich was. The crispy fried chicken was layered with Swiss cheese and a slightly spicy kale slaw which added a nice balance. It’s not your typical fried chicken sandwich and it was executed well.

USDA Prime Famous French Dip Au Jus (8.5/10).

This was a standout. The thinly sliced prime rib was incredibly tender, basically melted in your mouth, and paired beautifully with the rich au jus and that punchy horseradish cream. Definitely a heavy hitter.

Overall Hillstone exceeded my expectations. While it may be a chain, the quality, consistency, and execution of each dish made it feel far from generic. It’s one of those places that proves classics, when done right, can still feel exciting so my rating is an 8/10.