Bobo's (Boboquivari's)

08/03/2008 Posted by ejg001

Valet was quick and free, seating was prompt (we had a reservation), orders were taken in a timely manner. The service was quite satisfactory, but simply what is to be expected from a restaurant in this price range. The food minus the rib-in fillet was simply mediocre. Our table had the Porterhouse, NY Strip, and Rib-in Fillet. The Fillet was spectacularly tender and mild -- a great steak if ever there was one. Unfortunately, the greatness of the Fillet was overshadowed by the mediocrity of the other cuts. The NY Strip and Porterhouse were not that great. I don't know how they dry age their beef, or where it comes from, but it lacked the intense beefy taste of some of the better dry aged steaks i've had (craftsteak, peter luger, cut, jar). On top of the elusive beefy flavor and tenderness of a good dry aged steak, the NY strip and Porterhouse were completely devoid of any of the fatty bits that coat your mouth in delicious beefy grease. Obviously, for me, a steak must be beefy, have fatty bits that dissolve in your mouth, be 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" thick, and be cooked medium rare. Bobo's met only two of the conditions -- 2" thick and medium rare. Quite disappointing. Side Dishes -- The onion rings reminded me of carl's jr onion rings. They seemed pre-frozen, not hand-made or fresh and at a price of $8 for 6 rings, they should be fresh. The dip that accompanied the onion rings was a zesty mayo, but it also was generally flat and uninspiring. The portobello mushrooms were sliced in to tiny cubes, obviously from cheaper small sized mushrooms and finished with capers that simply overpowered the dish. I feel a mushroom dish that is to accompany a thick steak should be buttery and smooth, without the vinegary capers. The baked yam was delicious for what it was, about the size of an ice cream scoop. All in all, i'd go back if i really desired an amazing bone in fillet, but that's about it.

Pros: Curtains divide the dining area to provide privacy

Cons: the atmosphere is circus like with weird elevator music.

07/22/2008 Posted by riverapublicrelations

We're the public relations team behind Bobo's and want to take a moment to highlight one of the top reasons to visit them when looking for a great meal: The bone-in filet mignon. It's the best in San Francisco and SF Weekly agrees (search: best steak sfweekly bobo's). If you have any questions about Bobo's please let us know: info at rivera-pr dot com

Pros: bone-in filet

07/13/2008 Posted by Sam2828

We heard great things about this restaurant and tried it while visiting SF. Unfortunately we were very dissappointed. Good things: filet cooked right and tasted great, wine list was extensive. Bad things: lots of flies circling our meal, waitress was very slow unfriendly and not concerned about the flies, crab was so overbuttered that the flavor was lost.

Pros: Filet was good

Cons: Lots of flies

03/25/2008 Posted by JonThomas

Best steak of my recent life. My wife and I went all out and got steak and crab and didn't ever look back, everything was perfect. I do a lot of business lunches and dinners and the next time I have to close a deal I am going to make it at Bobo's as I am sure to win over any client. Thanks Bobo's, I will see you soon.

12/24/2007 Posted by tigress78

We enjoy Ruth's Chris and were hoping that the steak served here could compare.... It was actually better! We wish the service had been better, though. They forgot our appetizers somehow, and while waiting for a table at the bar we had to wave down service to recieve drinks. The gentleman next to us received his steak- but no silverware to eat it with. However, Amazing Steak. The only thing i don't recommend is the petite filet. DO NOT ORDER. Unless you have the appetite of a small bird there is no point. It was extremely small. I really wish I had ordered the regular filet. It took me about four bites to finish, HOWEVER- every bite was perfectly done and the juices/sauce on it was delicious . I also ordered the lobster soup (amazing). The walnut salad was a bit small, but the crab/salmon appetizer was tasty. All in all, wonderful food and i can't wait to get back for another steak. (and we will go back)

Pros: free valet, great steak

Cons: slow/forgetful service

12/16/2007 Posted by jg167

We had the iron skillet mussels and bone-in fillet last Thursday (12/13/07). The mussels were really good, tender, nicely spiced, really delicious. Salads were ok but perhaps just a touch too much vinegar and I'm not a huge fan of the "wedge" salad, I prefer my salads bite sized. The bone-in fillet (something I have not had before) was good, nicely cooked (medium rare), but I didn't find it much different than other fillets I've had and not the best I've had. So not as great a steak as the mussels were great mussels. Service was good, we had a reservation and were seated immediately upon arrival. One of our diners decided he'd like his steak more towards medium and sent it back after a few bites and that was no problem at all. So maybe a bit pricey for what you get, but what you get is certainly a good meal, just nothing to make your taste buds stand up and cheer about. Oh, and the garlic bread is a bit to oily for my tastes, though still tasty. They do have a good wine list too. The bill for the 3 of us came to ~$230 including tax and tip I think. I would prefer something a little quieter, but we had no problem hearing each other across the table.

Pros: good service, free vallet parking, great mussels, good steak

Cons: a bit pricey for just "good" steak,

12/08/2007 Posted by blkestin

I put Bobo's in the "another overrated SF restaurant" category. Granted, the steak was excellent - but the crab was overcooked, the crab cakes were small and relatively tasteless, and I'm not sure I even understand the garlic sourdough bread. Better food and much better value can be found just down Lombard St at Izzy's.

Pros: FIlet mignon

Cons: Seafood, ambience is part basement part brothel

11/27/2007 Posted by joiedevivre

Celebrated my birthday at Bobo's and had an excellent night. Everything was wonderful. The steak was amazing, service was friendly, and we enjoyed the warm, yet somewhat whimsical decor. Definitely will be going back. Thought I'd share my two cents consdiering some of the reviews. This place is a hidden gem. Best steak I've had in years.

Pros: THE Steak, their special garlic bread

09/08/2007 Posted by amit_narayanan

We had a reservation for 4 at 8:15 on Friday and the hostess (who was remarkably rude and unapologetic -- I think she had the idea that she was doing everyone a favor) informed that no table was available. Umm -- what's the point of taking a reservation if you cant HOLD a reservation? She points expansively at the "bar" (in quotes because I have seen bathrooms of bigger size) and hurls a disinterested "You could wait at... " and resumes staring at her screen. We waited about 20 mins out on the *street* at which point I decided to "hell with Bobo's" and inquire on a walk-in possibility at Joe DiMaggio's. Sure enough, they were able to accommodate and dinner (filet mignon's mostly) turned out absolutely *fantastic*. Pity we never tried the food at Bobo's. Pity also, that we will never ever get to try food at Bobo's in the future either. I think I made my point.

Cons: Lousy serice, reservation time has no meaning

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09/03/2007 Posted by miomail

As out last night out on the town we chose Bobo's for the reputation of the beef and the wine list. Boy, did we choose right! It was a Monday night so it was not at all crowded and service was excellent as it should be. Having worked in the food business and being a darn good cook myself, I had high expectations and I was very very impressed. I can't wait to get my Culinary Institute graduate Dad in here. The decor is cute and quirky to add interest. We completely enjoyed our meal and would gladly repeat the experience,