Historic, Vintage, Cool: John’s Grill (California)
By Karen Beishuizen
I have this thing for anything historic, vintage or cool. Especially when it comes to hotels, restaurants, diners, cafes and music venues. The old-worldly atmosphere, the home away from home feel, a place that you don’t want to leave, photos of movie stars and rock stars on the wall, those 1950s booths, a menu with burgers and milkshakes, places with a history that leave you in awe.
I want to show you landmarks from around the world which are just that.
John’s Grill in San Francisco
John’s Grill opened in 1908, reportedly the first restaurant to open in downtown San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. The man who founded the restaurant, John, died the same year after being hit by a cable car. In 1969 Gus Konstin bought the restaurant and the building with his wife, Sydna. She was the manager and was responsible for expanding the dinner business and adding Hammett and Maltese Falcon memorabilia. The Konstins retired in 1990 and their son John Konstin became the owner and he still is.
Dashiell Hammett worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and was a regular at John’s Grill. He wrote the novel “The Maltese Falcon” in 1930 and in the 1941 movie, Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, orders “chops, baked potatoes, and sliced tomatoes” there. In 1997, the restaurant was declared a literary landmark by the American Library Association.
In September 2020, the restaurant reopened for indoor dining on the first day that city COVID-19 restrictions forbidding it were lifted. In August 2021, the restaurant began requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination for both indoor and outdoor seating, the first in the Bay Area to impose this.
Since the 2010s, John’s Grill has offered annual free lunches on election day, presided over by former mayor Willie Brown. It celebrated its 115th anniversary in 2023 with a free block party with wine. In 2024, it was open for the first time on Thanksgiving Day.
John’s Grill serves steakhouse food and seafood. Numerous photos on the walls of celebrities and politicians shows the restaurant’s importance as a “power lunch” spot. Jack LaLanne, who was a regular patron, has a salad on the menu named for him.
On the floor above the dining room is an exhibition of Maltese Falcon memorabilia, including translated versions of the novel and stills from the film, and a 17-inch lead and bronze falcon statue weighing 150 pounds.
The Dashiell Hammett Society is based at John’s Grill.
John’s Grill has gathered many famous patrons over the years: Olympia Dukakis, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Johnny Depp, Lauren Bacall, George Lucas, Don Johnson, Sophia Loren, Billy Joel, Francis Ford Coppola, Robin Williams, Renee Zellweger, Keanu Reeves, Joe Montana, Howard Stern, Robin Wright, Rita Moreno and many more.
Today, guests find vintage furnishings, dark wood paneling, historic photos, and a classic American menu at John’s Grill.
For more info, check out John’s Grill’s website: HERE
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