At AB Steak, Back and his team strike a San Francisco-appropriate balance between good vibes and quality food. “There will be people who aren’t attracted to our style,” general manager Shane Martinez said. “But the quality of the food is phenomenal.”
Yes, you should come for the beef. But there are starters worth investigating, too, like the AB Pizza ($29), an eponymous dish served at Back’s restaurants in cities as far-flung as London and Jakarta. A crispy tortilla is topped with paper-thin slices of raw wagyu beef, olives, and shallots plus a drizzle of ponzu and fragrant white truffle oil. It’s briny, bright, and pleasantly unctuous. There’s also saewoo jang ($32), prawns that swim in a soy-based marinade punched up with garlic, jalapeño, and lemon. Plastic gloves are provided for prying off the delicate heads and shells.