On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Burgers, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: CastroNeighborhood: Lower Haight
"Love, Love, LOVE my neighborhood bar!! Great beers on tap such as Stella, Big Daddy, Trumer Pils, Leffe, Hemp Ale, Smithwicks Ale, Sierra,…" read more »
Named after harvey milk, the mayor of castro st. this is the restruant to idol someone the way I honor the mayor of montrose ray hill, where I came out in Houston tx
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Much has already been written about Harvey's great food, drinks, and service. I wanted to write about Harvey's community involvement.
I recently co-hosted a BAR Aids fundraiser here for the Stop AIDS Project. Harvey's generously agreed to donate 1/2 the drink sales for the night to Stop AIDS Project. Not only that, but their general manager (Steve), bar manager (Mike) and all of the staff could not have been more generous and they were eager to help plan for a great fundraiser.
Everyone had a great time. The food and drinks were excellent, and the service was friendly and prompt. Despite having a large than normal crowd, all of the bartenders and servers had a smile on their face and hustled to make sure everyone had food and drink. And thanks to Harvey's generosity, we raised a lot of money for a very good cause.
Harvey's is a great standard-bearer for our neighborhood.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I recently became a fan of Harvey's for their food, though before I enjoyed them because they would have some pretty neat drag shows on the weekends and in the evenings that were a lot of fun.
But for their food, I've always gone for lunch during the week, and have always enjoyed it. I am one of those people that always gets the exact same thing, so my order includes a spicy bloody mary and a chicken ranch wrap (of course, with the crispy chicken).
The wait is never too long, the food is usually super tasty, and the staff is always nice and friendly. My favorite visit was this past Easter when I was having lunch with my dear Kathryn and our waiter was telling us about the drink specials to which he added "I'm on number 4 for the day...you should catch up..."
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I went here for brunch on a Saturday and had a blast. The people that I experianced working here were all super nice and flirty. All the staff was on top of everything(Food, Service, and all Smiles) and accomadated the party of 5 that I brought with me. The breakfast-lunch was delicious, and the drinks made me very happy. All and All I would have to say that they're really not bad. So give this place a chance, and ignore any of those whiny bitchy reviews. (It just goes to show all people can't be pleased) ! However, I certainly was pleased! =-) MUAH TO HARVEY'S!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
The build your own burger is a great idea. In practice, the patty is just a bit too dry - and mayo does not come on the plate. If you love mayo, be ready to ask for it twice before it gets to you.
The wait staff seemed short handed, but that is no excuse to be rude. My friend and I noticed some eye rolling, attitude and ignoring of customers. The gentlemen seated next to us (before we got there) left because they were completely ignored.
The one reason to visit are the sweet potato fries. They were really yummy.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
It wasn't bad when I was here. I was drunk mind you, I had just come from my first DYG, I had already imbibed in several beers on an empty stomach, I was feeling a little tipsy. I didn't know what I was getting myself in to. I was assured by Andy F that the food would be fine.
Well, it was. My turkey burger was tasty, hot and a little cheesy. The fries went down my throat quite easily. The service was good, but Andy and his boy were all over the waiters butt... well not literally, but if they had a few more beers... perhaps. Makes me wonder if that helped our servers on topness with his servicing. Prices are fine, nothing outrageous, my food was tasty, but nothing was groundbreaking. It was standard. It was good, but would I run over here for dinner? No, but if was drunk and in the Castro area.. I would have no problem coming here.
Now the real question is... how many double entendre's can you find in this review?
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (6)
Cool (7)
I was showing some out of town guests around the Castro and we decided to stop at Harvey's for lunch. We sat down at a table (4 of us), we got menus, and then...we sat there, and sat there, and sat there, waiting for someone to take our order. Finally, we stopped one of the servers and asked him if he could take our order (since no one was volunteering)- he actually took a long pause, turned away and looked around the room, and then finally turned back to us and said "UM, WELL, I GUESS I COULD TAKE YOUR ORDER." Seriously? You guess you could? Nevermind that it's actually YOUR JOB, don't do me any favors! His attitude was completely ridiculous, I was embarrassed that I had brought people here. To top it off, the food took over 30 minutes to get to our table! The only reason this place is getting any stars at all is because the food was actually good, unfortunately the service was not.
3.5. It's been a while but the last time I was here, a friend asked me to be in her wedding. It was after happy hour at the Midnight Sun and I don't know why she stuffed me with heavy food and more drinks first since there was no reason for me to say no. Turned out to be the best bridesmaid dress I ever had to wear.
We had pretty much every appetizer and some of the salads. After that many drinks, the food tasted great and the service was ok.
I took a walking tour of the Castro the other night. I have been told at random times that I have good style or that I can be charismatic. Even taken out of context, I enjoy compliments like that. This night, someone told me that I am the gayest Korean guy he knows. I still don't know what to say to that.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (6)
Cool (5)
Went on a Saturday night because members of our group were opposed to the 30 minute wait at Badlands. It was still slow at Harvey's and we quickly figured out why. One female member of our group said "This is where the sad, less attractive gay men gather" and it felt that way... just depressing.
It didn't help that the gogo boys looked like they were members of the zombie-day march in the city earlier in the day. They stood there and hardly moved, clearly uninspired by the crowd.
I'm not ageist, I'm not a hater... it was the energy of the crowd that killed the vibe. People just didn't seem happy... killed off the energy of our group and we left a bit melancholy.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I love Harvey's! What's not to like? They have good food, cute bartenders (for my boys who like boys). I love the fact that the bartender ALWAYS remembers what I drink. And to top it off, they support live comedy!! How great is that?!! OK, I know...I know....I'm biased. Performing at Harvey's is a wonderful thing. They do a great job there, and I hope they're around for a long, long time.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
After marching my husband past countless assless chap stores in my hunt for what was purportedly The Best Yarn Store in San Francisco (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), we both realized that we were famished. And thirsty. And because the sun was shining on the Castro that fine, fine afternoon, we decided that a cold beer and lunch was in order.
And then there was Harvey's. It was the middle of the day and we saw people drinking beer. And having a good time. And there was 80's music. And burgers. And I got carded ordering beer.
It doesn't get much better.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Alright..I totally feel like a bad gay for taking one highly coveted Yelp star away and that the Gay Mafia will now do all in their power to ruin my life..
BUT!!
C'mon Harvey owners/Chef's...your food is steps away from being garbage..which is where most of my food went this past weekend..
Ok..It could have something to do with the fact that I love to order greasy, deep-fried and badforme food..But when I order Fish and Chips..I expect to get those two items...Thankfully, I did get the chips part of the order..Although, in lieu of Fish..All I saw on my plate was a hunk of batter deep fried to a burnt crisp!
Although...you feckers can paste on ten stars for our tight-pant wearing server who kept giving me his best bedroom eyes..Or at least that's what I kept seeing through my beer goggles.
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (8)
Cool (7)
04/06/2008
Just a good place due to the namesake. Although, I'm not certain of the history of "Harvey's"… Read more »
Any place that serves sweet potato fries is 'a-ok'.... service is generally good, food is decent, but the sweet potato fries are great!
I've been going to Harvey's for brunches, lunches for years, and I've never been disappointed by the food. And I'm excited that the Harvey's management is taking the risk and making the effort to support bringing actual culture back to the Castro. It's been 8 years since Josie's Cabaret closed, and it means a lot that someone is finally doing live music, cabaret and comedy in the heart of our community. Sure, I'm biased as someone who's performed at Josie's and waited a LONG time to perform in the Castro again. Thanks Harvey's, there is still hope for local Gay culture!
Casual place.
Food is good, great service!
That's all. Just good.
The question that should be posed to those about to visit Harvey's is...what are you looking for? Depending on your answer, the star rating that Harvey's would get will probably vary.
Let's make it simple - Harvey's is not by any means a pretentious, fancy restaurant. This may or may not be a good first date spot, depending on your own particular style and how much of an "impress" factor you're trying to put forth. But Harvey's isn't a hole-in-the-wall either, with enough space and ambiance to actually make a relaxed evening just that - a relaxed evening.
I wish I could say that the food was truly redeeming, as hole-in-the-walls are wont to be, or that somehow the place is just fantastic, or service stellar. But it's none of those. The Harvey's Wrap that I ordered was good, but nothing really spectacular. The sweet potato fries, while perhaps a novelty, were a little lackluster, in that they were more along the lines of shoestring fries, which left them with more fry than sweet potato. Maybe it's because I just moved from Atlanta, but I like my sweet potato fries to be large and hearty.
Now on the upside, the place definitely excels in the realm of "relaxed bite to eat," serving up a relatively simple menu of non-pretentious items. Happy hour beers will make things go down a little easier, and I'm sure a raucous bunch would have a good time. But unfortunately, looking around, there didn't appear to be any places that could really support a large group, with mostly small bar tables for four, or a few two-tops scattered around the edges.
So in short, while I won't necessarily seek out Harvey's in the future, it's nice to know that the sort of neighborhood bar food place is there, and can always provide a square meal without too much trouble.
I always thought that the old Harvey's reflected the neighborhood it served: campy, fun, upbeat and friendly. This "New" Harvey's is none of those things. It's sad to think that maybe it is still a reflection of the neighborhood: stuck-up, self absorbed, unfriendly and overpriced. I've been in there three times in the last week and a half because I was with friends who chose the place.
It's definitely NOT worth the wait for a table. The only reason we ate there was because of the location and we thought we could get a quick burger with better options and more ambiance than Slider's.
As stated in other reviews the place is too loud to chat with friends without yelling - even with the small, cramped tables. As far as I could tell there was only one nice server, the rest were too busy doting on their friends or prettier customers and I've always felt completely ignored or at best over-looked every time I've been there.
On my last visit, I had to get up and go to the bar begging for some water. When my black bean vege burger arrived it was cold and included all of the things I asked them to hold - plus they gave me a wheat bun when I asked for sourdough... I had to make due because we had movie tickets but I'll never eat there ever again.
They obviously don't want my money or they would offer better food and better service
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
While visiting in San Francisco for the first time I tried several restaurants before stumbling upon Harvey's. This was by far my favorite dining experience during my trip. The bloody mary I had was amazing and had it not been so early I would have had another.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
i've never really eaten here, but their bloody marys are the best in the city. they have a whole menu dedicated to my favorite cocktail. try them all and call it brunch.
I'm giving 5 stars to Harvey's because I couldn't find anything bad about this place. I went for brunch with 2 friends on a ramdom weekday (brunch on a weekday is a plus!) and we felt very, very welcomed.
I had the Florentine-Benedict eggs, a perfect combination that I haven't yet found at any brunch spot in NY, and that was delicious. My friend had the tuna wrap, which she said was great. The service was fast, the waiters were really nice to us, and the music was the best.
Overall, I had a great experience and will try to go back anytime I'm in San Francisco.
One of the managers had emailed me on here about the service I had received and I explained what I had experienced. He was very helpful and seemed to want to correct the problem. Its good to know that this establishment is trying to correct problems and make a better visit for its customers.
04/21/2008
After a morning of car shopping, I was pretty darn hungry. I headed over to Harvey's to meet a… Read more »
Fortunate to get a table, it was a nice place to kick off Pride Weekend. Best cobb salad from a bar that I've ever had. They put the dressing on the side without me even asking. The bacon was crispy. None of the lettuce was wilted. Just terrific. And the vodka gimlets that I had along with it were made perfectly. This is definitely one of the better food choices in the Castro.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
I used to come here a lot when I first moved to SF years ago.
Limited in my naviagtion skills, and friended by mostly gays, the Castro was one of the only neighborhoods I knew how to get to from my house.
Harvey's was fun, the burgers and side salad with the awesome vinagarette were great.
Boo and I hit up Harvey's on a recovery Saturday. Go figure that a recovery from a BBQ had me craving a burger. Weird.
I started with the mac n' cheese 'harvey's stick's'. The idea of deep friend mac n' cheese called to me in my hazy hungover state of "I-woke-up-at-2-PM-with-the-Boyfriends- cat-on-my-face".
Please note that these 'sticks' are drizzled with some sort of spicy-not-spicy sauce that detracted from the mac n' cheese goodness. I wished I knew it was drizzled on top so I could have asked for it on the side.
I like the whole build your burger guide. I got a decent burger with pepperjack, guac and a side of onion rings. A++ for the fact they offer sweet potato fries.
Overall, the food was a 3.5 star experience, but while the service wasn't completely horrendous, it was pretty unfriendly and a bit slow.
It couldn't hurt if our waiter smiled, at least once. And maybe not look so annoyed when we asked for to go boxes.
This place is alright...nothing too amazing, but it's fine for getting a drink and maybe a sandwich. The place is very laid-back and easy-going...a good place to go for a drink before you go elsewhere.
Sigh. I love Harvey's. I do. But I just can't get a consistent experience there, especially this new, updated Harvey's. My expectations aren't real high. I want a beer, I want a burger, and then I want another beer. Every other time I go, I get a burger that is cold. The waiters being smokin' cute only goes so far, really, especially when some are nice and some...well, they are too aware of their smokin' status to be at all attentive to anyone else. So, I'll continue to go there when someone wants to and for post-tennis lunches, but I can't give a high rating. Besides, if I did, my boyfriend would begin to question my sanity and I'd rather wait another year or so before he realizes there is a nutcase underneath the veneer.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I don't know where to start. I live around the corner from this joint and have given it many chances to redeem itself however that has yet to happen, and I can honestly say that I will not be going back again. Here are justa few of the reasons why I hate this place:
1. 3 tv screens in Harvey's however they are constantly playing movies such as The Rock, even though the Olympics are on.
2. I have to constantly get up to order my drinks at the bar since the server is too busy sitting on patrons laps.
3. I order nachos with no beans, since I am allergic, and my nachos arrive with about 2 cans of beans on top. The server did not apologize, nor did he remove this from the bill.
4. I had to cleaar my own plates and move them to another table since the server, was again, sitting on patrons laps.
This is incredibly discouraging seeing that I am a local and try to support the local restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. This was an unacceptable experience and I hope that maybe the owner can ready this review and whip his waitstaff into shape.
Harvey's is awesome! I love the food and the staff and the atmosphere. It's a great place to relax that's outside the club scene.
Steve, the manager, is doing a fantastic job trying to improve the quality of the food and the dining experience. But let's face it, Harvey's was never intended to be Catch, 2223, or any other slightly upscale place. It's a laid back yet quality burger joint. And, I'm with you, Steve, shoestring fries are sooooo much better than wedges.
I have to say that there is nothing like coming to Harvey's after a hard day's work, sitting down across the bar with Mike or Derrick, and having a Cowboy Burger with a strong cocktail or wheat beer. If I'm too tired to make dinner for myself, there is no question that Harvey's is the place I'm going to go for a nice, hot, relaxing meal.
For all you health nuts, the salads are excellent. They aren't just filled with iceberg lettuce and nasty dressings. The Valli and the Cobb are expecially nice. Try them!
A tip for the wise, don't have more than two bloody marys in one sitting. You will be WASTED.
I arrived at Harvey's early and managed to beat the crowd, which was nice since the last time I was at Harvey was during the Pride Weekend celebrations ...
I did brunch and got the Yummi's Omelet, which had a huge slice of avocado in it and lots of bacon , jack cheese, and tomatoes. The hash browns were also very tasty and I didn't use up all of the sour cream they gave me, which is rare for me.
Excellent and quick service. Pretty impressive row of scotch displayed prominently on the shelves ... I will come back one night and try out some of them. Oh ... they also have Sailor Jerry's rum, which is also bonus points in my book.
I went there for lunch and the place was pretty busy, ut only one waiter that was also bussing the table...service was ok.
Same thing as the food, nothing spectacular. The location though is amazing: the best corner of the neighborhood!
When a table full of 7 mostly straight gals can get good service in the heart of the Castro, you know you're on the right track. And when that same table full of ladies gets interviewed for a channel 5 news cover about a bachelor reality show for gay men, you're certainly in for interesting conversation, at the very least. And when that group of women, then modestly (ha! try, we didn't want to risk the fat TV effect after inhaling mountains of onion rings, fried calamari, & nachos) refuse to be on TV, and the nice man interviewing them doesn't get annoyed, and instead starts flirting with some of the straight and not-so-straight and still doesn't get the camera interview, well, lets just say it's a ton of fun.
They've recently redone the place, which is a very good thing. The general layout is the same, but with the new furnishings, bar-top and CLEAN bathrooms (yes, it can happen, even in the Castro), the place feels much more polished and clean. The menu is about the same, with slight rate increases. But the important thing is that the chicken nachos are still something to go out of your way for. And the lemon-drops seem to be a house specialty, as they are consistently perfectly mixed. All in all, a relaxed environment, with decent food and drinks, and friendly patrons and staff.
People thought this was:
Useful (9)
Funny (10)
Cool (10)
Best burger in the Castro.
Get a window seat facing Castro Street if you can -- the corner that Harvey's sits on has a happy energy that is unparalleled in SF.
Harvey's used to have a Trivia night that was awesome - you had a really high probability of winning something, in part because it was held early in the week, turnout was low, and although your competition knew all the answers to the celebrity and show business questions, you ended up crushing them on just about everything else.
(that's a hint - I hope they bring it back -- free beer is a great motivator . . .)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (3)
I agree with the recent reviews. I used to really like Harvey's good and local in a good location. I think the food is pretty fair but the service has been horrible everytime I have gone recently. I am not sure what the deal is, it just seems to have gotten kind of pretentious.
In my adventures with my lesbo-tronic b-f-f, we managed to go here.
It was after some shopping, some gazing and basically walking around and enjoying the city.
Harvey's has gone through many re-incarnations since I've been here... I remember going to Brownies for my Bitches (where all the hot lesbians used to go get their purge on).... and now they've upped it a bit - it's more refined and has some classy touches.
It's a true neighborhood place, they place is capsulated with large windows where it is the best seat to watch traffic flow by in the Castro. I mean today alone, I probably saw 4 people I slept with in one hour.
Haha. Just kidding. But no, this is a good place to people watch while you enjoy the most amazing burger that Castro has to offer. I think they could try some new things on their menu because American food is boring, but hey what self-respecting person doesn't love a good cheeseburger and a nice healthy bar?
Score.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I miss the Harvey's of yore. Where else could you watch The Sound of Music, The Dark Crystal, and Airplane! all in the same day? It used to be my favorite place to spend an afternoon- drinking, people watching, chatting with the crew, while Seth's iPod provided the soundtrack to great old movies.
Sadly, over the last few months, Harvey's has turned into every other bar. Generic loud dance music and ESPN or worse, MTV on the tv's... Out with trivia night, in with $2 drinks and go-go dancers. What a disappointment! Before, Harvey's was a refreshing, charming escape from the regularity of neighborhood bars.
Pros: The staff there is awesome awesome awesome (Monty, Seth, Jonathan, Greg, Jesse, Mike, and ALL the others)-- I know them all by name and they are the nicest, greatest guys-- and the only reason I go back.
The veggie burger (with sweet potato fries) is good but it is pretty much the only vegetarian option on the menu.
27May08 UPDATE: So I wrote the original review and wouldn't you know it, the GM actually read this and responded! He was disappointed in my review, and I TOTALLY appreciate him contacting me! With that said, hats off to an establishment that shows that they care about their clientle and their establishment! Will definitely go back! Thanks to the GM (Steve) @ Harvey's and see you soon!
It's in a good spot in The 'Stro, but seriously the food is eh, uneventful and over priced for what you get. Once again though, it has a full bar and THAT helps!
What drew us here were the burgers - meat AND veggie - and more importantly, restrooms. I was just surprised seeing a veggie burger that was made of black beans and corns in a place that was dedicated to meat. I'm not going to be picky. Did I mention that I had to pee?
The food was good, no sauce though for the burger. Nothing a little ketchup can't cure. And our diet cokes were flat. I think they poured it out of a bottle. Anyway, it's a chill environment where you can grab a drink, watch some soundless movie, and have a conversation where the music is loud enough.
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (2)
Cool (5)
OMG PANDA IS GIVING SOMETHING IN THE CASTRO A 2 STAR REVIEW WTF IS THE WORLD COMING TO AHHHHHHHHHHHHH
...
Don't get me wrong, the queens in here are absolutely WONDERFUL, but they were playing VH1 on the television, Flava of Love 1,000,000 or something, and the particular episode was about medical problems. As far as I'm concerned, when I'm DRINKING, I don't want to be reminded that there are medical problems in the world.
I'm DRINKING. HELLLOOOOOOO.
The bartender took forFUCKINGever to get my Kir Royale and Adam's gin martini. How hard is it to pop open an already-opened bottle of bubbly and top it with chambord? NOT HARD. You were too busy chatting it up with the guys down the bar, which SUCKS because HELLO, HELLO, HELLO we're here to spend MONEY and we're awesome TIPPERS and are you DEAF and BLIND I need a DRINK.
Halfway through they put up neon lights and started charging a cover to get in. Good thing we already had a tab, because we needed to go outside and have a cigarette to get away from Flava of UGGO's and get the foul taste of bad champagne out of my mouth.
FAIL. Next time I'm going to Amber or whatever its called.
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (9)
Cool (7)
I love Harvey's! There are just times when I crave some chicken wings. Mmmm...great chicken wings. And Harvey's chicken wings are so flavorful, big, and with a touch of spice. Their $3 drink special was tasty (last night was an appletini) and their bloody mary wilson (lemon-y bloody mary) had just enough tang. Also had their mediterranean turkey sandwich with havarti cheese and fresh tomatoes - YUMMY! The pesto aioli made the sandwich. My friend had the fish and chips, which were pretty huge considering there was only 3 pieces of fish. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, centrally located and easy to get to. And it was just what I needed after a few drinks to celebrate St Patty's!
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
This is my first review, and the thing that finally got me doing reviews on Yelp. Let me say that I have always loved Harvey's and have spent way too much time and money there always having a blast. I actually enjoy the food and drinks, but I mainly go in because my girlfriend has become friends will all the staff, and I love their company. We love to listen to the music and watch the movies on the wall. I would give the place 4 stars based on my old experiences. But recently they have begun comedy nights and live music nights. Live music night started while we were already there, and it was tolerable, but it still forced us to eventually close out our ticket and STOP SPENDING MONEY as we didn't enjoy it and wanted to leave. But last night, my friends and I were enjoying a nice dinner when out of nowhere some awful comedian just started yelling on a mike. We closed out our bill as fast as we could because it was loud and annoying. and seeing as we were drinking and were planning on drinking all night, the live entertainment once again caused me to STOP SPENDING MONEY. Then to make matters worse, the poor, terrible comic actually tried to harass us from on stage because we weren't paying attention to him. I make it a practice not to heckle comedians, especially ones that are clearly awful, so I was glad to see the table next to me yelling at him "just shut up so we can finish our dinner!" Maybe the live entertainment brings in business, I don't know, but it makes Harvey's lose mine.
Best damn hands-on food within the Castro (that isn't Lime).
If you're into being put on display while masticating, sit in front of the panes (too large to be just normal "windows"). Since I was with my pretty lady friend and I was rocking a good hair day, we chose the people-watching high-backed tables for eating.
Food is like upscale fast food; fries (but really you can order them with an aioli or as sweet potatoe), sandwiches (paninis, really), drinks (Chamtinis in a tall, square glass, anyone?)...it's like popping through the Looking Glass and seeing the ordinary culinary world turned couture.
The salads are BIG, as are the thrice cut wedges of sandwich you can order. Get your drink (or flirt, depending on if you're strictly dickly) on, and be glad your credit card isn't being 'Milk'ed for eating here. You can get a great meal and a drink for less than $20 incl. tip.
Granted it's not as mod as Lime/Mecca or as bar-y as B.O.C. or the plethora of alcoholic dives in the neighborhood, but the atmosphere is unassuming, the service isn't pretentious and the food is definitely worth a shout out.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)