Restaurant in San Francisco, United States

Epic Steak

Name: Epic Steak
Address: 369 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, San Francisco, US
Telephone: (415) 369-9955

240Pearl Points

Easy to book, earns its waterfront price.

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About Epic Steak

A well-credentialed waterfront steakhouse on the Embarcadero with a serious wine program and easy availability. OAD has ranked it in the top 400 casual North American restaurants three years running, and a World of Fine Wine 2-Star Accreditation backs up the list. Book for groups, client dinners, or a wine-focused night out — but manage expectations on noise and formality.

Should You Book Epic Steak?

Getting a table at Epic Steak is easy — and that accessibility is part of the calculation. This is a waterfront steakhouse on the Embarcadero with a walk-in-friendly policy and opening hours that lean dinner-focused (Monday through Friday from 4 pm, with Saturday and Sunday lunch service starting at 11:30 am). If you are visiting San Francisco and want a reliable, well-regarded steakhouse with bay views and a serious wine program, Epic Steak is a credible choice. If you want the city's most technically ambitious cooking, look elsewhere — this is not that room.

The Room and the Energy

The Embarcadero setting shapes the atmosphere at Epic Steak in a way that matters to your decision. The room is large and open, designed around the view rather than the quiet. Expect energy, ambient noise, and the feeling of a venue that moves volume without sacrificing quality. This is a better fit for celebratory dinners, client meals, or groups than for a quiet two-leading conversation. If you are after a hushed, intimate setting, Miller & Lux or Alexander's Steakhouse will serve you better.

Recognition and Credentials

Epic Steak holds a 2-Star Accreditation from the World of Fine Wine Awards and has appeared on the Opinionated About Dining Casual North America list three consecutive years: Recommended in 2023, ranked #393 in 2024, and climbing to #358 in 2025. That upward trajectory on OAD matters , it signals that the kitchen under chef Parke Ulrich has been improving, not coasting. A 4.4 Google rating across nearly 2,900 reviews adds a broader-audience data point: this is a venue that performs consistently enough to satisfy a large and varied crowd.

For context within the steakhouse category, OAD casual recognition at this level places Epic Steak in the same conversation as other well-run American steakhouses, though it sits in a different tier than destination tasting-menu restaurants like The French Laundry in Napa or Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg. Within the steakhouse category globally, comparable positioning can be found at venues like Capa in Orlando and A Cut in Taipei , waterfront-adjacent, wine-serious, reliably executing.

Service and Whether It Earns the Price

This is where the editorial angle matters. Epic Steak's service has a reputation for being confident and informed without being stuffy , a tone that fits the casual-upscale positioning. The World of Fine Wine 2-Star Accreditation signals that the wine program is substantive, and wine service at this level requires floor staff who know the list. If you are ordering a serious bottle, the expectation is that the team can guide you. Whether that service depth justifies the price point depends on what you order and what you compare it against. Against a direct mid-range steakhouse, the gap in wine intelligence alone is worth something. Against a full-service fine-dining room, the service will feel less formal , but that is the tradeoff the room is designed to offer.

The recent upward movement on OAD rankings suggests the overall experience, service included, has tightened. This is not a venue that has been standing still.

Know Before You Go

Address: 369 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105
Hours: Monday–Thursday 4–9 pm; Friday 4–9:30 pm; Saturday 11:30 am–9:30 pm; Sunday 11:30 am–9 pm
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Chef: Parke Ulrich
Booking difficulty: Easy , walk-ins are realistic, reservations direct
Awards: OAD Casual North America #358 (2025); World of Fine Wine 2-Star Accreditation
Google rating: 4.4 (2,824 reviews)
Leading for: Groups, client dinners, celebrations, wine-focused diners
Lunch service: Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am

How It Compares

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can Epic Steak accommodate groups?

Epic Steak is a large-format room on the Embarcadero, which makes it more group-friendly than most San Francisco restaurants at this calibre. For parties of 6 or more, check the venue's official channels to discuss seating arrangements. The open, high-volume layout handles groups better than a tighter fine-dining room like Quince or Benu would.

What should a first-timer know about Epic Steak?

Book for dinner on a weekday if you want the most manageable experience — Monday through Thursday runs 4–9 pm with less weekend foot traffic. Epic Steak holds a World of Fine Wine 2-Star Accreditation, so the wine list is worth your attention. Chef Parke Ulrich leads the kitchen, and the OAD Casual North America ranking (up from #393 in 2024 to #358 in 2025) signals consistent improvement.

Is Epic Steak good for a special occasion?

Yes, with the right expectations. The Embarcadero waterfront setting and World of Fine Wine 2-Star Accreditation give it enough credential for a meaningful celebration dinner. It reads as a confident, accessible special occasion choice rather than a formal tasting-menu event — if you want that register, Benu or Quince is the move instead.

Can I eat at the bar at Epic Steak?

Bar seating details are not confirmed in available venue data, but the restaurant's large, open room format typically supports walk-in bar access at this style of Embarcadero steakhouse. Friday and Saturday evenings (open until 9:30 pm) will be the most competitive for any unreserved seats, so arriving early or targeting a weeknight is the practical approach.

Is lunch or dinner better at Epic Steak?

Dinner is the stronger call for a first visit — the full week runs 4–9 pm (4–9:30 pm Friday), giving you the waterfront at dusk. Lunch is only available Saturday (from 11:30 am) and Sunday (from 11:30 am), making it a weekend-specific option. If you want a lower-key, less expensive midday meal with the same Embarcadero views, the Saturday or Sunday lunch window is worth considering.

Location

369 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105

San Francisco, United States

Compare Epic Steak

Epic Steak vs. Similar Venues

Venue	Cuisine	Price	Awards	Booking Difficulty
Epic Steak	Steakhouse			Easy
Lazy Bear	Progressive American, Contemporary	$$$$	Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
Atelier Crenn	Modern French, Contemporary	$$$$	Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
Benu	French - Chinese, Asian	$$$$	Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
Quince	Italian, Contemporary	$$$$	Michelin 3 Star	Unknown
Saison	Progressive American, Californian	$$$$	Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown

Key differences to consider before you reserve.

Also Consider

Lazy Bear, Progressive American, Contemporary, $$$$
Atelier Crenn, Modern French, Contemporary, $$$$
Benu, French - Chinese, Asian, $$$$
Quince, Italian, Contemporary, $$$$
Saison, Progressive American, Californian, $$$$

Set Epic Steak against San Francisco's $$$$ tasting-menu circuit and you are comparing different decisions entirely. Lazy Bear, Atelier Crenn, Benu, Quince, and Saison are all fixed-format, weeks-out booking experiences with Michelin credentials and a price point that commits the entire evening to a single menu. Epic Steak is none of those things, and that is a feature for some diners. If you want to order à la carte, control the pace of the meal, and bring a group without negotiating a set-menu per-head minimum, Epic Steak is the practical choice in this comparison set.

On wine specifically, Epic Steak's World of Fine Wine 2-Star Accreditation puts it in a different conversation than a standard steakhouse. Saison is widely regarded as one of the most serious wine programs in California, and Benu and Atelier Crenn both carry sommelier depth commensurate with their Michelin stars, so if wine is the primary driver of your evening, those rooms have the edge. But for a wine-forward steakhouse dinner where you are not locked into a tasting menu, Epic Steak is the strongest option on this list.

For direct steakhouse comparisons in San Francisco, Alexander's Steakhouse skews more Japanese-influenced and precise, making it the better call for a quieter, more intimate dinner. Miller & Lux is more polished on service formality. Epic Steak wins on setting, the Embarcadero waterfront is a stronger physical context than either of those rooms, and on booking ease. If the view matters and you do not want to plan weeks ahead, Epic Steak is the call.