The Buena Vista

This is classic comfort at The Buena Vista and a taste of San Francisco Tradition. This place delivers on its promise of hearty, satisfying fare. My recent visit featured two classic comfort dishes: the patty melt and clam chowder, both of which exceeded expectations.

The patty melt was a testament to the power of simplicity done right. The perfectly seasoned beef patty, cooked to a juicy medium rare, was nestled between slices of rye bread that achieved that ideal balance of crisp exterior and soft interior. The melted American cheese draped luxuriously over the meat, complementing the beef beautifully. Caramelized onions added a sweet and savory note, bringing depth to each bite. The whole sandwich was griddled to golden perfection, with a satisfying crunch giving way to the melty, meaty interior.

The clam chowder was a bowl of pure comfort. Creamy without being heavy, each spoonful was a delightful mix of tender clams and diced potatoes. The soup had a rich, briny flavor that spoke of the sea, flecks of herbs - likely parsley and thyme - added freshness and complexity to the dish. The chowder's consistency was spot-on: thick enough to coat the spoon, yet still allowing each ingredient to shine individually.

What impressed me most was how these dishes, while familiar, were elevated by expert preparation and quality ingredients. The Buena Vista doesn't reinvent the wheel; instead, it polishes classic recipes to a high shine.

The restaurant's ambiance, with its historic charm and views of the bay, perfectly complemented the meal. It's easy to see why this place has been a San Francisco favorite for decades.

For anyone seeking a taste of San Francisco tradition with consistently delicious execution, The Buena Vista is a must-visit. Whether you're a local or a tourist, the patty melt and clam chowder are sure to satisfy and maybe even transport you to a simpler time of honest, heartwarming food.

Touristy type of place. Located near the cable car turn table, this place has been here for many years. This place offers a full bar and also serves food. The food is basic, nothing to get excited about. What I did not appreciate was the prices. I get it. It's the city and location is everything. What I did not like was being charged more on my credit card than what I wrote on the bill. What should have been $76 including tip ended up being charged $89. Someone there added more and that is not cool to rip off customers. I will not be returning to this place and warn anyone else who wants to go here. Especially being a local that frequence the city on a regular basis. Thumbs down.

The Buena Vista opened in 1916 when the first floor of a boardinghouse was converted into a saloon. This corner gem has been serving its signature Irish coffee since 1952 and still doing an awesome job of it. Call it a cafe or call it a bar, it does both exceptionally well, but regardless of how good the food is, the Irish Coffee is always going to be the star of the show and that cast will never change.

The perfect Irish coffee is a delightful blend of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and topped with a layer of cream. The real key here is the cream and the whiskey, they age their house made cream to make it more apt to float atop the coffeee and of course they use a singular brand of high quality whiskey. The lasting separation of cream to coffee really makes a slow sipper like me very happy.

Although the tables are shared, the Irish Coffee will eventually chase the shyness away, so if you have the time sit back and enjoy what The Buena Vista has to offer. They know how to run a dining room very well. Cheers!

The Buena Vista is an old favorite! This place has not changed in a 100 years, great Irish coffees, relaxed environment, and incredible staff especially Joe!

After a run at Pier 39 and a couple of spots at the wharf, I thought I'd take Big Bro here for a sit down snack and their famous Irish coffee.

We also chose this spot for a quick meet with fam.

We have been pretty much snacking all day, so we just wanted to sorta kickback and have their coffees. Ordered those immediately along with a couple glasses of water.

Also put it an order of the crab cakes to share. Our server overheard that part of our conversation, so he suggested since it comes with two, he'd be more than happy to split the plates. Yay!

The Irish coffees were exactly as I remember them. Granted, my first run here was over a decade ago, consistency is key! And the crab cakes were amazing! Great palate cleansers!

And I love that they kept that old skool vibe. It's almost like being transported to the past!

FOOD: 4. For the crab cakes!
SERVICE: 4. Friendly servers. Service with a smile!
VALUE: 4. Considering it's a tourist spot, it's more than fair.
PARKING: Street only! It can get rough. Plan accordingly!
OVERALL: 4.

They had a store, but it was closed on this stop. Boooo...

It was a pretty good spot to stop at before continuing our tour of this part of the city. May be awhile for the next, but definitely making a stop given the chance!

The Buena Vista bought Irish Coffee to America in 1952 and still serving the same great tasting Irish Coffee. Came in on the Saturday night at about 7pm, place wasn't too busy and got the table right way. Nice waiter Patrick came and took out order. Started with 2 Irish Coffees, and let me tell you, there is no other like it. The Skrewball Irish Coffee with Peanut Butter Whiskey is another great one. Can't go wrong with either.

The of the best Garlic Fries I ever had. Perfect amount of parsley leaves, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Cup of Chunky Clam Chowder is actually almost a bowl size at any other restaurant, came with lots of fresh clams. It is one of the best I had. As good as the Anchor Oyster in the Castro and better than Sam's Chowder House.

Lobster roll with Fries and Coleslaw - Nice chunks of fresh lobster meat, the lemon aioli sauce was a hit. The coleslaw is one of the best I ever had, perfect ratio of Mayonnaise, Vinegar, and Lemon Juice.

Dungeness Crab Melt with Salad - The dungeness crab was so fresh you can taste the ocean and the Italian Vinaigrette dressing that was on the salad was great.

BV Meatball Parmigiana served with Grilled Vegetables and a little mashed potato was tasty and juicy.

The interior had some some photos hung on the wall and very clean.

I've been here a few times over the last few years and I have always loved their take on the Irish coffee. They are teriffic! However the place is getting run down and dirty. Bathrooms are bad now, icky floors and old table and chairs. I guess that's the ambiance they want. I know it's a small busy place but they need to clean it up a bit and boot people out that have clearly had a little too much.

The prices are a bit high I would say. The last time we were here the Irish coffee (which they are famous for) was $7. Now $14. Seems a bit steep but after covid I guess they had to bump it up.

Still had a relaxing time there and I got my fix of the famous Irish Coffees with 3 of them over 2 visits so I guess I supported the price hike! LOL

I've been here before and knew this place was going to be hard to find a place to sit. But my girlfriend and I were super lucky that one of the workers told us to snag a table that was available in the back before it's too late lol. They have seating at the bar for food and drinks but they don't allow you to sit at the tables if you are only ordering drinks so they can accommodate people who need the space to eat.

It was busy, not that I am surprised, but our waitress was always attentive and took our orders fairly quickly and was ready to put it in any future requests we had. She took our food and drink orders and they came out faster than we thought they would.

I was craving Irish coffee for the LONGEST time and The Buena Vjsta did NOT disappoint. If you love or even want to try Irish coffee, it is mandatory to get 'The Buena Vista Irish Coffee'. You can taste the whiskey, which I love, but the heavy cream balances it out very well. It also goes with whatever food items you order lol.

To keep it simple, the food was delicious. My girlfriend and I definitely got our cravings satisfied. My girlfriend got the Clam Chowder Sourdough Bread Bowl and I got the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. They were both so good, we kept picking at each other's plates.The coffee and food really hit the spot after our morning walk around the city. The Buena Vista is definitely a spot to go to whenever you're in the area.

The Buena Vista is a must stop when you are in San Francisco! My wife and I stopped after a morning in Sausalito. She wanted an Irish coffee and I was ready for some soup.

We were able to get a seat at the counter where food is also served. I had chili in a sourdough bread bowl, she had clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Our soups were outstanding and she really enjoyed her Irish coffee.

There is a timeless element to the Buena Vista with a touch of class. Any San Francisco visit should include the Buena Vista. I can't recommend enough, it is really fantastic!

Stopped in to try their world famous Irish coffee. The bartender was super nice and attentive even though they were busy. You can feel the history when you walk in and see the old school wooden bar . I recommend grabbing a seat at the bar but they also have tables if you want to dine as well.