The Brazen Head

Everything about The Brazen Head is appealing. It’s a cozy, local pub-​like place where people obviously enjoy the food as well as their company. My meal of prosciutto wrapped scallops was the best ever. Cooked to perfection with a lovely sauce to provide a tasty addition… couldn’t have been better. With mashed potatoes and spinach, it was a full meal while presented on the Appetizer section. Eddie, the owner, is personable and his staff of servers are great. Can hardly wait to return to SF just to try another meal selection!

I’m revising my review with a higher rating because the owner reached out to me personally to find out what happened and manage the situation. I appreciate that.

Great little spot in my hood, consistent classic food with great service.

Best late night end up spot in the Marina! Definitely a hidden secret, I’m almost scared to tell people how amazing this place is.
I love the food here, especially the bread they give and the french onion soup!
Of course, this is also a fabulous place for a date night.

Not that great… Pork chop and french onion soup were worth but filet mignon and sides were kinda bleh… the wait was about 25 minutes when we were first in line… Waitress we had didn’t tell us any specials (don’t know if there were any) or what sides there were or if they could change or refill water… just overall will not be going back

This low-​key gem is a go-​to for comfort food (prime rib, standards like chicken marsala, a fantastic burger), but I have recently been choosing lighter fare that complies with my temporarily less indulgent diet. I had the special sea bass with beurre blanc tonight, and it was one of the most exquisitely prepared pieces of fish I have had in recent memory. The atmosphere is convivial and welcoming, the food is consistently outstanding, and everything is reasonably priced. What’s not to love?

As a result of my appreciation for managements response, I’ve edited my review.

Delicious steak. Great food all around! Good, but average cocktails, nothing too special on the drink end. The restaurant had a magical feel to it, from the dimly visible entrance to the old world bar feel. Great place for a quit dinner date or a few drinks at the bar with good local fare.

Came here with the family in August 2015 for a mid week dinner during our vacation. The Brazen Head is a total hole in the wall, small, dark place with character. The food, service and drinks, were all very good.
I recommend the oysters as an appetizer, French onion soup, the prime rib sliders (best I’ve ever had) and their manhattans… All were stellar. We will be going back the next time we are in San Fran (at least I didn’t say Frisco).

Had the prime rib sliders, Mac n cheese, and oysters. All very good. Also tried my friends lobster ravioli which was nice. Moscow mule made right. Bread puddling delicious. This place is so cute and hidden. Very easy to miss ! Cute on the inside. Cozy feel.

Solid 4. No sign — I love it. You’d never know it was a restaurant walking by… Old school bartenders. I had grilled salmon and it was great. Atmosphere real cozy just like a neighborhood bar should be. Recommended by the maitre d’ at Lyceum in Salem, MA (identical bar).

Brazen Head is such a hidden gem in SF. If you’re walking by you wouldn’t even think it was a restaurant or open. They don’t take reservations but you can always grab a drink at the bar before. Also note that they only take cash!
The staff was friendly. I started off with the French onion soup which was amazing. I then got the peppered steak. While it was good, it was a little fatty.
Don’t take your parents here if you’re looking for a quiet evening as this place gets loud and it was hard for us to hear our tables conversation.
Good spot in the city for a casual, fun meal.

The restaurant without a sign…
way before it became the thing to be a restaurant without a sign.
WAY before.
It’s tiny. It’s on the corner. If you blink, you’ll miss it.
It’s dimly lit, romantic, & charming in a storybook way. Not a fairytale way, but rather a Dashiell Hammett novel way. The kind of joint your favorite English or American poet would have surely hung out in.
The menu is about bistro fare. Steak & fries. Salmon. French onion soup. The Brazen Burger. All very good, but the star is the steak.
For a quintessential BH experience, order a martini at the bar. Or a negroni. Or a Manhattan. Basically, anything masculine, old school, & that would look great being sipped by Humphrey Bogart.
It is tiny. Did I mention that? The dining room feels a bit like you’re in a train car. It’s very cool.
You can skip dessert. That’s what the cocktail was for.
A beloved SF institution.
4 stars.

This is a wonderful, old San Francisco haunt. It has an incredible ambiance, great for date nights or a cozy get together with close friends. We celebrated a friend 40^th here and no reservations allowed. There was no wait at 5:45 on a Saturday night. The food was remarkably yummy. I enjoyed their signature New York pepper steak with creamed and sautéed spinach. It was 5 out of 5 stars. The service was perfect and the homemade chocolate Pot dessert was delectable. I will be coming back. Note: cash and debit cards only… very old school

I was staying in the Marina district for a weekend, festival sale at Fort Mason and wanted some good food but wasn’t in the mood for «upscale» dining at some of the finer establishments in the area.
After reading multiple Unilocal reviews I came across the Brazen Head, and she more than fit what I was looking for. Simply awesome food enjoyed at a corner seat at the bar. Low key. Cool vibe. Local.
And did I say awesome food? Check that… I’ll call it spectacular. Would come back often if I lived in the area for sure…

My boyfriend and I try to pick a new place to go to for our date night around once a week. We had heard great things about Brazen Head from multiple people so we decided to check it out. I am so glad we did!
We got a bottle of wine to start plus french onion soup. Oh my goodness… that soup was divine. Talk about oozy cheesy goodness. In my opinion this a must-​get here! We both got steaks with bearnaise — mine medium rare and his medium. I’m so so glad I got my medium rare because the flavor was perfect, I also prefer mine to be a little more on the red side.
Also — the atmosphere is perfect for a date. Dark and intimate. I would come back here again and again!

Sunday nights after 11pm leaves low choices for good food. After seeing a shoe we needed to get sustenance. An old co worker had told me about this place years ago. So we decided we’d hut it up. Place is super dimly lit and the bar is full even at 11.30pm. New York pepper corn steak and beef ravioli picata with garlic bread hit the spot. As we were eating a few of the staff from RN74 came in for their post shift eats and i recognized one formerly from Saison. Small world. If it’s good for industry folks it’s good for me

Good food. Friendly Service.
The Prime Rib was good at $ 30. Sides were a little bland but who comes here for the sides.
The only negatives were that parking can be a bit of a challenge especially on weekends. The tables here are on the small side especially if you have a large order.

Brazen Head is a cozy late-​night spot for steaks. It’s tucked away in a Marina neighborhood and many locals dine here. I came here for dinner on a Friday and it was pretty loud and lively. Luckily we didn’t have to wait and were seated at a very tiny table for two. The interior could use some updating. The space was very cramped and dark with old wooden furniture.
I ordered the seasonal salad for a fresh and light bite. The salad tasted great and was tossed in light vinaigrette with gorgonzola, apples, oranges, caramelized onions, pecans and cranberries.
We also ordered the filet mignon. The steak wasn’t tender and flavorful as we had hoped for. We asked for medium rare, but it was cooked medium well. The size was small in comparison to its price. We chose the baked sweet potato for our side, but the potato was over cooked and was too soft for my liking. They weren’t so generous with the sides. We only got a third of a sweet potato, one piece of portabella mushroom and a few green beans. What was a little surprising was that they only take cash or debit cards… a steakhouse in the Marina?
I think I’d be better off getting a piece of steak of Marina Meats or going to House of Prime Rib.

I think every person should live in a city for at least a few years when they’re young. One of the most memorable and formative times of my life was when I lived in San Francisco in the ‘90s, and one of my favorite places during that epic era – and today – is the Brazen Head.
It almost feels like a secret club; no sign outside, no cheesy barker at the door, no billboards on Lombard coaxing tourists in. I only found out about this place because a friend of mine lived nearby and she stumbled upon it while exploring her neighborhood for a place to get a drink/​meal without being surrounded by the Marina tools (yes, they were around 25 years ago too).
The atmosphere is dim, relaxing, and old school. The food is great; traditional/​old school food. I’ve always loved to share the French onion soup and the Caesar salad, followed by the pepper steak or the pork loin. But you can order anything and never go wrong. Prices are very reasonable too.
And the drinks are great; this is not a place you’ll find a mixologist with a bushy beard, handlebar mustache and eyeglasses that make a statement. This is where I cultivated my love of the martini (back when Eddie – who now owns the place – was tending bar and made the best martini I’ve ever had). I loved his martinis so much I found an overstock restaurant shop and bought the exact same martini glasses in hopes it would impart something magical into my homemade martinis.
I often catch myself sounding like a senior citizen when I bemoan all of my old haunts that have disappeared in the last 25 years, but it’s comforting to know that the Brazen Head is still here, hasn’t changed much, and is still a fantastic experience. I’ve recommended this place to dozens of people who have never heard of it, but now consider themselves part of the secret club.