Parking available at Cathedral Hill Hotel. $1.50 / 1 hour or $4.00 / 3 hours

Start: / Fort Point at Marine Dr & Long Ave
San Francisco, CA
94101US

End: / Cathedral Hill Hotel415-776-8200
1101 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA
94109 US

Distance: 4.77 miles

Total Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Directions / Distance
/ 1. / Start out going SOUTH on LONG AVE toward LINCOLN BLVD (Gate access required). / 0.1 miles
/ 2. / Turn RIGHT onto LINCOLN BLVD. / 0.2 miles
/ 3. / Turn RIGHT onto VISTA ACC. / 0.1 miles
/ 4. / Turn LEFT onto BATTERY CRANSTON RD. / <0.1 miles
/ 5. / Turn LEFT onto MERCHANT RD. / <0.1 miles
/ 6. / Merge onto US-101 S toward SAN FRANCISCO. / 3.0 miles
/ 7. / Turn RIGHT onto VAN NESS AVE/US-101. / 1.0 miles
/ 8. / End at Cathedral Hill Hotel415-776-8200
1101 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109 US

Tommy's Joynt
1101 Geary at Van Ness
Telephone: (415) 775-4216 Fax: (415) 775-3322

Tommy's Joynt does two things well: meat and beer. The hofbrau's menu, featuring braised lamb shanks, oxtail and corned-beef sandwiches, looks like it hasn't changed since Tommy's opened in 1947. The prices also hearken back to days of yore: A huge dinner, with meat, salad, mashed potatoes and a roll, is under $10 -- even with a beer. Tommy's adheres to the more-is-merrier philosophy in everything, from its loud outside murals to the parallel walls with food on one side and drinks on the other. Everything on the extensive menu is served cafeteria-style, and there are as many misses as hits. Go for the tender brisket sandwich, and say "yes" to the offer of tangy, thin barbecue sauce. If you're curious, pass on the too-beefy buffalo stew and opt instead for the mild buffalo chili. As with food, so with drink. Tommy's serves some hundred beers from around the world, and most are cheap. Amuse yourself by looking at the beer signs, sports logos and old menu specials plastered on the walls, or watch sports on satellite TV in the back room. The cafeteria stays open until 2AM, making Tommy's a filling last stop on any bar crawl. -- Julie Ross (Photo: Joel Barcelona)

You can’t get much more “Classic San Francisco” than Tommy’s Joynt restaurant, which has been in my family since it’s beginning. In fact, the original Tommy was my uncle, Tommy Harris, a well-known local radio personality, turned restaurateur and long time San Francisco Parks Commissioner. Tommy’s Joynt opened its doors in 1947 and immediately shaped up as an eatery and watering hole for the city’s glitterati, including Herb Caen, Senator Dianne Feinstein and opera star Juusie Bjoerling. It has survived earthquakes and fires and has since become as much a hallmark of San Francisco life as Alcatraz, the Cable Cars and Fisherman’s Wharf. Over the years, it has been a favorite must-visit spot for tourists and natives alike. Like “Cheers” of TV Fame, it’s a place where people can meet and watch sports TV, or just talk over an ice-cold beer. And, if you’re a regular, there’s a good chance that everybody knows your name! It pioneered the “Hofbrau” style in San Francisco, an atmosphere where it’s friendly, warm, the walls covered in memorabilia, and the food is simply great. We serve a delicious selection of meats that are prepared daily such as, corned beef, pastrami, buffalo stew, tender lamb shanks and juicy roast beef, just the name a few. You can get a dinner plate or a mile high sandwich, with a wide assortment of appetizing sides. Our meats are carved steaming hot before your eyes, a mouthwatering feast. Lots of our regulars swear it’s still one of the best bargains for the buck in all of San Francisco. Our bar stocks more than one hundred beers from all over the world and we bet you can’t find a lower price anywhere! You can have dinner and a beer for under ten dollars! Our bartenders pour a generous drink, and you can enjoy a Martini for $3.25 or an Irish Coffee for $3.25, a Margarita for $4.25, and a Cognac or a good single malt Scotch for only $5.00. We are open every day of the week from 10:00 in the morning until 1:45 A.M., 364 days a year (we close on Christmas). Some of our customers have been coming to the “Joynt” for over forty years. The majority of the staff has been with us for over 20 years. They worked for my father, Billy Veprin who still owns Tommy's Joynt, my uncle Tommy, and now my husband and I are proud to be the new managers of this family owned and operated Landmark Establishment! Susie & Mark Katzman