The bartender making Irish coffees
The Buena Vista Cafe is a San Francisco original – first opened in 1916, making it one of the oldest restaurants in the city. It’s the place that first brought Irish coffees to America, and remains the best spot to try one.
The Buena Vista first opened as a saloon below a boarding house, and became a popular spot for fishermen and cannery workers to hang out. The Irish coffee tradition at Buena Vista began in 1952, when a travel writer came to the bar owners with the idea to recreate the drink he tried at Ireland’s Shannon Airport. After some experimentation to find cream that would float atop the drink (they use a special formula that’s aged for 48 hours and frothed just right), the (American) Irish coffee was born.
The famous Irish coffee
Today, Buena Vista Cafe serves an average of 2,000 of their specialty drink each day. The bartenders make them en masse, lining up a row of the special 6 ounce glass chalices, and pouring them all at once. First he poured hot water to warm the glass, then replaced the water with two sugar cubes each and hot Peerless coffee, ¾ full, stirring each one to dissolve the sugar. Then comes a shot of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and the bartender tops it all off with the frothed cream. The result is sweet, strong, and delicious, and the perfect hot drink for a cold day in San Francisco to warm yourself up after hopping off that cable car just outside the door.
The bartender stood at the bar throughout my whole meal, continuously making row after row of Irish coffees, with a few other coffee drinks from time to time. It was fascinating to watch him work.
I loved that they sent us home with the recipe for the drinks and told us to hit the gift shop with our receipt after we finished to pick up some free souvenir postcards and check out the goods. They even sell a gift set with everything you need to make Irish coffee at home (except the cream) including branded glasses, napkins, a sugar cube jar, as well as the coffee and whiskey.
It may be touristy, but the Buena Vista Cafe has earned its place on the list of San Francisco spots that can’t be missed.
The Location
The Buena Vista Cafe is located on the corner of Hyde and Beach Streets, directly across from the Fisherman’s Wharf cable car stop on the Powell-Hyde line. The location makes the cafe easily accessible for those visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, or Ghirardelli Square. (There’s also a location at SFO so you can enjoy one last Irish coffee before you leave.)
Address:
2765 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 474-5044
The Hours
Monday through Friday: 9 am – 2 am
Saturday and Sunday 8 am – 2 am
The Ambiance
The Buena Vista has an old world vibe, with rich dark wood and old photos on the walls. The bartenders and servers are dressed up in white coats and black ties. The ambiance is classy but still casual, thanks to the constant hordes of comfortably dressed tourists that pass through the establishment daily. The Buena Vista Cafe is cozy and crowded, with other customers hovering around and bumping past me as I tried to eat. The regular tables are large and guests are seated communally, so you may end up eating next to some new friends.
The Service
The Buena Vista had self-seating when I visited, but we lucked out finding some of the only bar seats where they’ll serve food. We had a great view of the bartender artfully making the Irish coffees as well.
Though our waitress was busy, she was working very hard and still had time to be personable. Overall, the service was slightly rushed due to the crowds (thanks to a tech conference in town) but very efficient and friendly.
The Price
Meals range from about $9 to $25, with most of them on the lower end (aside from some steak and crab options). Prices aren’t bad until you add the drinks, which are certainly on the high end at about $10 each. The drink prices weren’t even listed on the menu, because who are you kidding, you’ll order it anyway.
The Food
Though many people only come to the Buena Vista Cafe for its signature drinks, the cafe serves a full menu of hot meals from Dungeness crab to burgers and Benedicts in several varieties, Reubens and foods that seem more Italian-inspired than Irish (probably thanks to the Italian fishermen that frequented the joint).
In addition to the Irish coffee, there’s a long list of intriguing specialty drinks, many of them variations on alcoholic coffees (the Frangelico Nutty Irishman is a popular one) and some old fashioned drinks like gimlets and fizz.
Cinnamon French toast
Buena Vista Cafe serves breakfast all day, but when I chose the cinnamon French toast in the late afternoon, the waitress seemed surprised and asked “breakfast for dinner?” Of course, breakfast for dinner. Breakfast for every meal, lady. It was like a delicious cinnamon bun in French toast form, with pecans and warm maple syrup. The bread had the perfect consistency and was cooked just right – soft but not soggy from the eggs. It might sound overly sweet, but the flavors were nicely balanced and I finished the whole thing (but in my defense, it didn’t come with any sides).
I also got to sample the clam chowder, which is a little different from many I’ve tasted down in Fisherman’s Wharf. This one was a little chunkier and had more variety of flavors, including some green onions and spices sprinkled on top. It was solid but nothing spectacular.
Clam chowder
At the end of my meal, I noticed some gold plates with names on them fastened to the edge of the bar in front of our seats. I asked a bartender who the guys were, and he shrugged as he explained that they were two cable car drivers who were regulars at the Buena Vista – and that they’d bought and installed their name plates themselves. Locals and tourists alike love the Buena Vista.
It might be touristy, but I can’t say it’s overrated or even a tourist trap. The food was good and the drinks were great. I would go back for another Irish coffee or food anytime – so meet me at the BV!
