Venue Image

Hours

Mon.- Thu. 5:45-10PM
Fri.-Sat. 5:45-10:30PM

Nearest Subway Station

Embarcadero Station
298 Market Street
Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, San Francisco Muni

Pricing

Medium ($$)

City's Best

El Raigon   

510 Union St
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-291-0927
www.elraigon.com

Rating: 2 out of 5  (12 Ratings)   Read Reviews (12)    Rate and Write a Review

The rustic wood furniture, cowhide bar and pictures of cattle being roped could be in any American steakhouse. But those aren't cowboys -- they're Argentine gauchos. And this isn't just any grill; it's a parilla (a spit over charcoal and wood). And that's not A-1 steak sauce, but the zesty concoction of herbs, onion, garlic, cayenne, olive oil and vinegar called chimichurri. Argentina rivals Kobe and Texas as a beef capital, with lean, grass-fed meat. In traditional style, El Raigon serves not only steaks and ribs but also marinated sweetbreads, blood sausage and chorizo -- not to mention ground beef in the spicy, must-order empanadas. Entrees are an array of flavorful (though not as marbleized or as tender as most U.S. cuts) beef and lamb, with simple sides like roasted potatoes. Everything comes with chimichurri except dessert, which is forgettable. But Argentine wine is such a treat that it's almost dessert in itself, especially the selection of good Malbecs.

User Ratings and Reviews Rate and Write a Review

12 Ratings and Reviews

Order by: Oldest | Newest
user image
Review rating 5 out of 5
By DoyleWalt on 07/11/2008
user image
Review rating 1 out of 5
can anyone cook a steak?
By pschulte88 on 01/03/2007
all you need to do is give good service and cook meat, is it that hard??!! this place should learn from ruth chris steak house
mvlensride
Review rating 2 out of 5
Not the best the food was ok
By mvlensride on 12/26/2006
If though the food was ok. The service was the worst. we were seating downstairs in a room that was just across for the office. we waitied and waited for our server I had to go up to the counter a couple of times to see if we even had a server. Would I go back Not in a long time, if ever Sorry I was hoping for something great But didn't get it.
user image
Review rating 1 out of 5
Food Good SERVICE BAD
By henekelly on 09/07/2006
This year I celebrated my 37th anniversary at El Raigon. We took the family there because we love Montana grass fed beef, and your review said that is what we would get here. The food was good even if they had run out of the filet before our party was seated. The side dishes and salads were excellent. However, that is where the happy anniversary ended. The service was abominable. My daughter was insulted by the hostess when she first came in. We almost left before we sat down. The wine was sent back twice; we settled for a very expensive bottle that was drinkable (The waitress did not tell my husband the price.) The food was brought in dribs and drabs. We had stated in our reservation that this was our anniversary celebration; yet no one congratulated us. No one even came by the table to see if things were OK. I asked for part of my rib eye steak to be wrapped so that I could take it home. That was the last I saw of it. When I asked about it, my family could see and hear that there was a conversation going on to the effect that I had not asked for this service. The manager later told me that the wait staff never bring the leftover container to the table because it is so big. Instead they leave it on the bar, and then give it to you as you leave. Somehow, she said, someone else must have taken my box. I told the manager that the service had been poor and the hostess had been rude. The hostess just laughed at me. I demanded an apology. The manager demanded it also. The hostess smirked, laughed, and then said "Sorry!". When I left, she mocked me and mimicked what I had said. My daughter both saw and heard this. The owners did not seem to be present at any time while we were there. I cannot believe that this restaurant is in the top 100 restaurants or that the AOL Guide has it listed as number 1.