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Before Jaws, there was no such thing as a summer blockbuster, and when it hit theaters it showed the world how big movies could be (and made us fear going in our bathtubs). Niku Steakhouse is kind of like that too, but instead of spiking popcorn sales, it raises the bar for steak in SF—and after you eat dinner here, you’ll never look at meat the same way.
This place in the Design District specializes in A5 wagyu beef, which is considered the highest grade on Earth by serious people in crisp lab coats, mostly because each cut generally has even more marbling than the Parthenon. And while you could just stare at the raw beef like it was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it’s how Niku serves it that makes dinner here such an incredible experience.
photo credit: Susie Lacocque
The meat is cooked over a grill that chefs hover over like they’re meticulously looking for Marvel Easter eggs, but instead, they’re constantly fanning embers and making sure the steaks are perfectly charred. A four-ounce serving of A5 wagyu runs around $125, and a flight of three is $250—it’s clearly expensive for small portions of meat, but the cuts are so rich that after each bite, you’ll feel your brain rewiring like you’re learning a new language. But for some reason, if you don’t want to feel like you just took a Limitless pill, they have an incredible New York strip.
photo credit: Susie Lacocque
While your brain is busy making these tough decisions, sommeliers take their time helping you to find the perfect wine to pull from the towering wall of bottles across from the grill, and water is refilled and napkins are folded so quickly you won’t even notice the servers doing it. And when you’re just getting over the amazing starters like the rich bone marrow or the salmon tartare with coconut crema and refreshing aguachile, a tray of custom knives appear at your table for you to choose from. When your meal is over, the only regret you’ll have is going for the regular steak knife over the shiny scalpel or mini cleaver to wave around like Bill the Butcher.
Even though people show up in t-shirts and Patagonia vests, this is definitely somewhere to go for a special occasion—you’re probably not walking out for under $250. And while that can feel like you’re spending more than the entire special effects budget of a Spielberg movie, at Niku, you’re not just paying for dinner—you’re getting a whole new outlook on what it means to eat steak.