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The Old Clam House, 299 Bayshore Blvd. |
San Francisco
institutions aren't limited to the familiar and famous neighborhoods. There's
no question The Old Clam House on Bayshore Blvd. is what travelers
call "out of the center." That doesn't stop it from being a storied and
cherished landmark. It's the oldest restaurant in San Francisco at a continuous
location. (Tadich Grill was established in
1849 but not at its current digs on California Street.) The Oakdale
Bar & Clam House, as it was known, opened on the waterfront, near a
creek, in 1861. It survived the 1906 Earthquake. (The right-hand half of
the place as you enter is the original structure.) Today, the waterfront
is a mile east of here due to landfill. The creek is underground, too.
However, The Old Clam House still has the great fresh seafood and friendly
service that has sustained it through more than a dozen owners and over
140 years - nearly the entire life of the City. For locals it's a terrific,
unpretentious place to take the folks.
More about Islais Creek and the vanishing Southeastern San Francisco watershed. |
Copyright 2003 Hank Donat |